Herculodge

eBay Radio Sighting: GE Model 7-2900 Radio Made by Panasonic

Part of me wants to say this is the Super Radio II, but I can't tell. It's being sold as a GE Model 7-2900 Radio by Panasonic. It's in excellent condition. My guess is that it's a top performer. No bids as of posting. 

The $700 Billion Bailout Asks the Responsible to Suffer for the Irresponsbile

Today on KPCC's Larry Mantle show, Air Talk, an economist criticized the $700 Billion Bailout by saying that "imprudent" home buyers spent beyond their means and that responsible, prudent citizens are now being asked to pay their tax money to subsidize the indulges of the irresponsible. 

Amazingly, those who have spent their lives heartily defending the "virtues of the free market" are now asking for this gargantuan government-run tax subsidy.

Predictably, those on the right blame unworthy poor home buyers while those on the left blame greedy corporate hucksters. 

The truth is that both groups are to blame, but don't expect the partisan Kool-Aid drinkers to acknowledge this since they are committed to being selective about the facts that conveniently conform to their political "reality."

Comparing the Panasonic RF-2200's AM Reception with Today's Top Radios

Mike W offers some good insights on the superior AM reception of his Panasonic RF-2200, especially in regard to today's top radios:

My observation has been that the RF-2200 is a better receiver on MW (AM) & SW than the CSW/S350DL (and even the CCRadio/PR-D5 on MW) before the signal even gets to the audio stage. Much less background hiss and squealing.

What never ceases to amaze me is how subjective users' evalution of radio performance can be. People rave about MW on the S350DL/CSW/RP2100 but they struck me as roughly equal to each other on MW, better than average but nothing special. The three share many components. The CSW apparently has the same MW antenna as the 2100 (and I think the 350 as well) in spite of being marketed as have a special "twin coil ferrite" antenna.

The CCRadio and the PR-D5 share some components, have similar MW performance, and it seems to me, are clearly better on MW than the other three.

The modern sets seem to generally do better on FM than they do on AM. I can't see recommending an RF-2200 primarily on the basis of FM performance, although it's good on that band as well. It's just no boombox, it's more for MW/SW voice programming.

Perhaps I am going out on a limb here by commenting on a radio that has not been released yet, but I was also waiting to buy a Redsun RP3000/3100 last year, but I don't have especially high expectations for it as a MW receiver. It seems to me that the improvements over the 2100 will (mostly) help on SW. Single sideband (and sync detection if the high-end model ever gets released) can help on some MW signals, but I expect the 3000/3100 to be essentially the same MW receiver as the 2100.

Mike W offers some good insights on the superior AM reception of his Panasonic RF-2200, especially in regard to today's top radios:

My observation has been that the RF-2200 is a better receiver on MW (AM) & SW than the CSW/S350DL (and even the CCRadio/PR-D5 on MW) before the signal even gets to the audio stage. Much less background hiss and squealing.

What never ceases to amaze me is how subjective users' evalution of radio performance can be. People rave about MW on the S350DL/CSW/RP2100 but they struck me as roughly equal to each other on MW, better than average but nothing special. The three share many components. The CSW apparently has the same MW antenna as the 2100 (and I think the 350 as well) in spite of being marketed as have a special "twin coil ferrite" antenna.

The CCRadio and the PR-D5 share some components, have similar MW performance, and it seems to me, are clearly better on MW than the other three.

The modern sets seem to generally do better on FM than they do on AM. I can't see recommending an RF-2200 primarily on the basis of FM performance, although it's good on that band as well. It's just no boombox, it's more for MW/SW voice programming.

Perhaps I am going out on a limb here by commenting on a radio that has not been released yet, but I was also waiting to buy a Redsun RP3000/3100 last year, but I don't have especially high expectations for it as a MW receiver. It seems to me that the improvements over the 2100 will (mostly) help on SW. Single sideband (and sync detection if the high-end model ever gets released) can help on some MW signals, but I expect the 3000/3100 to be essentially the same MW receiver as the 2100.

America’s Overeating Paradox

 

In Francine Prose’s book Gluttony: The Seven Deadly Sins she ponders the stigma that afflicts the obese in our country. She writes that the overweight are often perceived as being “self-indulgent, sloppy, lazy, morally lax, lacking in the qualities of self-denial and impulse control that our society (still so heavily influenced by the legacy of Puritanism) values and rewards.” 

Prose goes on to point out that this stigma turns into outright resentment in situations where the obese infringe on our personal space by taking more than their fair share of it. She provides the example of the non-obese person who shudders at the thought of having to sit next to an obese person on an airplane and how this imposition has compelled airlines to charge obese people for not one but two airline tickets since it’s apparent that the obese require two seats. 

In a country that sees obesity as a spiritual problem, it makes sense then that the cure for obesity is sought in the spiritual sphere. Thus many try to cure their overeating with repentance, prayer, Twelve-Step Programs and other forms of contrition that might temper their ravenous appetites. 

While it’s apparent that the causes of obesity—poverty, lack of education, the ubiquity of cheap, calorie-dense foods, to name a few—are complex, we do have a reflexive moral revulsion toward the obese, as if some rotten core in their soul is at the root of their loathsome condition and it is this visceral reaction that makes obesity so painful and humiliating. 

But our hostility toward overeating is contradicted by our celebration and gleeful worship of it, evidenced by the growing popularity of eating competitions, which are chronicled in  Jason Fagone’s Horsemen of the Esophagus: Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream. 

Fagone observes that eating competitions embody many components—some good, some bad—of the American Myth. On the sunnier side, eating competitions are a light-hearted, “low-brow” pastime that brings communities together in a benign shared experience. 

Nothing like taking the family to an event in which grown men and women stuff thousands of cannolis, donuts, or hotdogs down their throats and ingest so much food as to cause their organs to swell and their intestinal lining to stretch more than a woman pregnant with sextuplets. 

Fagone also asserts that eating competitions embody the American can-do attitude of optimism and he recalls the film Cool Hand Luke in which Luke, played by Paul Newman, defies the harsh prison conditions of his captors and inspires his fellow prisoners to endure by eating fifty hard-boiled eggs. 

Indeed, eating gargantuan quantities of food seems to be a show of strength, triumph, and enduring masculinity. 

Of course, this sense of strength and triumph can veer too far and become part of America’s arrogance and gloating—qualities rooted in America’s sense of world domination and undying abundance. 

Fagone points out that American critics relish in eating competitions as evidence of our dystopian excesses: “If anti-American zealots anywhere in the world wanted to perform a minstrel show of our culture, this what they’d come up with. Competitive eating was a symbolic hairball coughed up by the American id.” 

For Fagone, the eating competition embodies the strengths and grotesqueries of the American character so powerfully, that his prose becomes excessive as he rhapsodizes shamelessly in the presence of an eating contest: 

"Whatever’s happening doesn’t feel shabby or small, but instead—I swear to the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese—broad and big and consequential, as though America has vomited up its deepest hope and deepest dread in one place and now something worthwhile having to do with this big, fat, infantile, stupid country can be learned, or accomplished. The whole goopy range of it, everything that makes America so undeniably great and infuriating, loved and hated . . ." 

Fagone is a witness of a country enamored by eating competitions, a country that sees virtue in being able to consume over 11,000 calories in one mad eating frenzy. 

How can we reconcile this worship of overeating with the contempt toward gluttony that Francine Prose describes? 

It appears that Americans don’t condemn overeating per se, but a particular symbolic meaning of overeating. If overeating represents personal defeat, sin, and being an imposition against others, then overeating is a sin. 

On the other hand, if overeating represents masculinity, domination, and power—qualities highlighted in a competition—then it is not an expression of overeating so much as an expression of American ingenuity, discipline, and competitiveness, qualities that inflate America’s collective self-esteem. 

Of course, America’s paradoxical attitude toward gluttony is not logical or rational; it is rather rooted in the symbolism and mythology of Puritanism, the religion of our forefathers that taught us self-flagellation for our personal failings and pride for our God-inspired entrepreneurial successes. 

We are additionally a nation easily seduced by the manner in which something is packaged. Market overeating as the sin of indulgence and we will disdain overeating. Market overeating as a competition and a show of strength and we will embrace overeating as one of life’s most treasured virtues.

 

 

Can Radios Get Better and Worse at the Same Time?

I was one of the first to get the Sangean WR-2, an upscale clock radio with excellent AM. If my memory serves me, I bought it in late spring of 2005. I finally sold it in February or March of 2008 because its FM pigtail antenna wasn't getting 89.3 KPCC as often as I wanted it and I despise external antenna hook-ups because they take up too much space and are downright ugly. However, I'm getting reports from other WR-2 owners of great FM reception with its stock pigtail antenna and I'm wondering if the radio has improved over time.

Update: I bought the newer WR-2 and found improvement on FM, but it seems the AM, a feature that seemed strong on my first model, being weaker on the newer second one. But it may be that my standards have increased since I've been enjoying the new AM King of modern radios, the Sangean PR-D5. 

Another case of an improved radio is the  Eton E5, arguably the best small portable on the market. When it first came out there were reports of bugs, not the least of which was a buzzing from the AC adapter. Additionally, the makers of the E5, Degen/Kaito, have been reported to improve on their same models as newer models are made.

If this is the case, I'll probably be sorry for forking out $300 and pre-ordering the Grundig Satellit 750. Who knows what kind of bugs and glitches this new model might have? If I were smart, I'd learn my lesson from the WR-2 and wait a year before I buy the 750, but then again radio lovers can't be cured. 

Update: I never did order the GS750 because reports are coming in that this $300 radio is at best mediocre and certainly not worth the price. 

I was one of the first to get the Sangean WR-2, an upscale clock radio with excellent AM. If my memory serves me, I bought it in late spring of 2005. I finally sold it in February or March of 2008 because its FM pigtail antenna wasn't getting 89.3 KPCC as often as I wanted it and I despise external antenna hook-ups because they take up too much space and are downright ugly. However, I'm getting reports from other WR-2 owners of great FM reception with its stock pigtail antenna and I'm wondering if the radio has improved over time.

Update: I bought the newer WR-2 and found improvement on FM, but it seems the AM, a feature that seemed strong on my first model, being weaker on the newer second one. But it may be that my standards have increased since I've been enjoying the new AM King of modern radios, the Sangean PR-D5. 

Another case of an improved radio is the  Eton E5, arguably the best small portable on the market. When it first came out there were reports of bugs, not the least of which was a buzzing from the AC adapter. Additionally, the makers of the E5, Degen/Kaito, have been reported to improve on their same models as newer models are made.

If this is the case, I'll probably be sorry for forking out $300 and pre-ordering the Grundig Satellit 750. Who knows what kind of bugs and glitches this new model might have? If I were smart, I'd learn my lesson from the WR-2 and wait a year before I buy the 750, but then again radio lovers can't be cured. 

Update: I never did order the GS750 because reports are coming in that this $300 radio is at best mediocre and certainly not worth the price. 

Kaito 1102 Review

I've had my Kaito 1102 for 4 years as of now and while it's relegated to the master bathroom because its small size fits so well on my shampoo cart, it is a radio worth more than its humble designation in my house. The problem with my 1102 is that its small speaker cannot stand up to other radios in my house--my Boston Acoustics Recepter, my Sangean WR-2, and my Tivoli Model 3, to name a few premium radios. However, we must not judge the 1102 against those aforementioned radios for they belong to the "geriatric family" of radios, big premium sound radios with no shortwave. While I'm not "geriatric" by any sense and while I am no shortwave listener, I want to recommend the 1102 for what it is: a compact shortwave/AM/FM radio. In this brief review, I will be comparing the 1102 to its Kaito cousins, the 1101 (which I gave to a friend 2 years ago) and the 1103 (which sits atop my Sangean WR-2). Of the three mentioned Kaitos, the 1102 is, on balance, the best. It is not the best in FM, however. In fact, both the 1101 and 1103, which get A's for FM, have better FM reception than the 1102, which I'd give a B plus. I say this because 89.3 KPCC can be troublesome for most of my radios, but not the 1103, the 1101, or my Sangean PR-D5 (reviewed on this blog). But the easy-to-use ergonomics of the 1102 (one-push for a preset change anywhere on AM or FM) and the superior AM sound over both the 1103 and 1101 make the 1102 the clear winner here. For a final note, let me say the 1102 pulls in 89.3 fine. The only difference is that I have to adjust the antenna more. In contrast, the 1101 and 1103 are so strong on FM that I rarely even have to move the telescopic antenna. The small inconvenience of moving the 1102's antenna is tiny compared to the ergonomics nightmare of the 1103, which requires several "steps" just to change a preset or even adjust the volume. To make things worse, the 1103's AM sounds muddled. So I'd give the top ranking to the 1102 in the battle between the compact Kaitos.

Final Thoughts: While on balance I prefer the 1102 to the 1103, most radio buffs will take the 1103's superior FM reception in spite of its ergonomic flaws over the 1102. In the final analysis, it's a matter of how tolerant you are of the 1103's idiosyncratic controls.

I've had my Kaito 1102 for 4 years as of now and while it's relegated to the master bathroom because its small size fits so well on my shampoo cart, it is a radio worth more than its humble designation in my house. The problem with my 1102 is that its small speaker cannot stand up to other radios in my house--my Boston Acoustics Recepter, my Sangean WR-2, and my Tivoli Model 3, to name a few premium radios. However, we must not judge the 1102 against those aforementioned radios for they belong to the "geriatric family" of radios, big premium sound radios with no shortwave. While I'm not "geriatric" by any sense and while I am no shortwave listener, I want to recommend the 1102 for what it is: a compact shortwave/AM/FM radio. In this brief review, I will be comparing the 1102 to its Kaito cousins, the 1101 (which I gave to a friend 2 years ago) and the 1103 (which sits atop my Sangean WR-2). Of the three mentioned Kaitos, the 1102 is, on balance, the best. It is not the best in FM, however. In fact, both the 1101 and 1103, which get A's for FM, have better FM reception than the 1102, which I'd give a B plus. I say this because 89.3 KPCC can be troublesome for most of my radios, but not the 1103, the 1101, or my Sangean PR-D5 (reviewed on this blog). But the easy-to-use ergonomics of the 1102 (one-push for a preset change anywhere on AM or FM) and the superior AM sound over both the 1103 and 1101 make the 1102 the clear winner here. For a final note, let me say the 1102 pulls in 89.3 fine. The only difference is that I have to adjust the antenna more. In contrast, the 1101 and 1103 are so strong on FM that I rarely even have to move the telescopic antenna. The small inconvenience of moving the 1102's antenna is tiny compared to the ergonomics nightmare of the 1103, which requires several "steps" just to change a preset or even adjust the volume. To make things worse, the 1103's AM sounds muddled. So I'd give the top ranking to the 1102 in the battle between the compact Kaitos.

Final Thoughts: While on balance I prefer the 1102 to the 1103, most radio buffs will take the 1103's superior FM reception in spite of its ergonomic flaws over the 1102. In the final analysis, it's a matter of how tolerant you are of the 1103's idiosyncratic controls.

Six Best Radios for the General Listener Updated for September 2008

Objective: To help average radio listener choose a radio that gets superb reception and good sound at a reasonable price. Any of the following radios would be a good choice. The buyer has to choose a radio that meets his or her needs. Therefore, size of the radio, speaker sound, digital or analog tuning with or without presets, and the visual look and tactile feel are all personal preferences. AM and FM performance is graded on a scale of 1-10. 

The requirements: Radios are priced between 50-150 dollars.

1. Analog Portable Radio: The $99 Eton/Grundig S350. What I don't like about the S350 is it feels light and plastic-laden, in contrast with its rugged military look. What I do like is its performance, sound, reliability, and ease of use. I'd rank its FM  reception a 10; its AM reception is a strong 9. Its speaker is loud and full. Its competition, the digital $139 C.Crane CSW, formerly the Kaito 2100, used to be a favorite for this size radio but I downgraded it after my personal experience and others' reports of muddled speaker sound and reliability issues. So I am no longer recommending the CSW. 

Number Two. Digital Table Radio: The $80 Sangean PR-D5. Earning an 8.5 ranking on FM reception and a staggering 10 on AM, the PR-D5 is the best radio offering I've seen in the last few years. It also has RDS. Its biggest weakness is small speaker sound from its tiny stereo speakers.  The PR-D5 is a curious radio. Dainty is one way to describe its styling. However, this petite radio boasts an industry-leading 8-inch internal ferrite AM antenna.

Number 3. Clock Radio: The $85 Boston Acoustics Horizon Soloor its bigger brother the $115 Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo. No clock radios in this class produce such high fidelity. FM is ranked a 9 and AM is about 8.5. Of course, the advantage of the Duo is it's more of a good thing: stereo speakers. Also the Duo has a remote control. However, be warned the Duo leaves a larger footprint and is too heavy to rotate when you're aiming for AM reception. The Solo might be more practical by your bed, which is where mine is. My Duo is in my computer office. 

Number 4. Compact Portable: The$150 Eton E5. As I post this, it is no longer selling on Amazon. It is a modified version of a radio I own, the Kaito 1103. My 1103 is a good $50 less and performs the same on AM and FM, but I recommend you pay the extra $50 and get the E5. Why? Because the E5 has normal, intuitive controls. The ergonomics are so egregiously nonsensical on the 1103 that I rarely use and actually have a hostility toward it. One example: On the 1103 you have to adjust the volume with two steps. Press the volume button and the numerical buttons. Correction: It's three steps. Since a volume of 10 or higher is moderate to high volume, you'll find yourself pressing "Volume," then "1," then "0." This is completely ridiculous. However, the reception is excellent. I'd give the FM a 10 and the AM an 8. With the E5, you can simply turn the volume dial or press the volume button up or down. In other words, the E5 is normal and the Kaito 1103 was designed by a maniacal sadist.

Number 6. A cheap "every day" radio: The $53 RCA Super Radio(formerly GE Super Radio III). I once owned this but gave it away to a struggling screenwriter who loves it. He should love it. It has a huge speaker sound. FM reception is ranked a 10. I'd give AM a high 9, but with the caveat that you can hear a low discernible hiss in the background. I can't ignore the low hiss. My screenwriter friend can. Another weakness: An inaccurate tuning dial. On balance, if you don't want to spend more than $53, this is your radio. If you don't mind spending $7 extra, you might check out the well reviewed digitalSangean PR-D7. 

September 27, 2008 in Radio Lovers Can't Be Cured | Permalink |Comments (0)

The requirements: Radios are priced between 50-150 dollars.

1. Analog Portable Radio: The $99 Eton/Grundig S350. What I don't like about the S350 is it feels light and plastic-laden, in contrast with its rugged military look. What I do like is its performance, sound, reliability, and ease of use. I'd rank its FM  reception a 10; its AM reception is a strong 9. Its speaker is loud and full. Its competition, the digital $139 C.Crane CSW, formerly the Kaito 2100, used to be a favorite for this size radio but I downgraded it after my personal experience and others' reports of muddled speaker sound and reliability issues. So I am no longer recommending the CSW. 

Number Two. Digital Table Radio: The $80 Sangean PR-D5. Earning an 8.5 ranking on FM reception and a staggering 10 on AM, the PR-D5 is the best radio offering I've seen in the last few years. It also has RDS. Its biggest weakness is small speaker sound from its tiny stereo speakers.  The PR-D5 is a curious radio. Dainty is one way to describe its styling. However, this petite radio boasts an industry-leading 8-inch internal ferrite AM antenna.

Number 3. Clock Radio: The $85 Boston Acoustics Horizon Soloor its bigger brother the $115 Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo. No clock radios in this class produce such high fidelity. FM is ranked a 9 and AM is about 8.5. Of course, the advantage of the Duo is it's more of a good thing: stereo speakers. Also the Duo has a remote control. However, be warned the Duo leaves a larger footprint and is too heavy to rotate when you're aiming for AM reception. The Solo might be more practical by your bed, which is where mine is. My Duo is in my computer office. 

Number 4. Compact Portable: The$150 Eton E5. As I post this, it is no longer selling on Amazon. It is a modified version of a radio I own, the Kaito 1103. My 1103 is a good $50 less and performs the same on AM and FM, but I recommend you pay the extra $50 and get the E5. Why? Because the E5 has normal, intuitive controls. The ergonomics are so egregiously nonsensical on the 1103 that I rarely use and actually have a hostility toward it. One example: On the 1103 you have to adjust the volume with two steps. Press the volume button and the numerical buttons. Correction: It's three steps. Since a volume of 10 or higher is moderate to high volume, you'll find yourself pressing "Volume," then "1," then "0." This is completely ridiculous. However, the reception is excellent. I'd give the FM a 10 and the AM an 8. With the E5, you can simply turn the volume dial or press the volume button up or down. In other words, the E5 is normal and the Kaito 1103 was designed by a maniacal sadist.

Number 6. A cheap "every day" radio: The $53 RCA Super Radio(formerly GE Super Radio III). I once owned this but gave it away to a struggling screenwriter who loves it. He should love it. It has a huge speaker sound. FM reception is ranked a 10. I'd give AM a high 9, but with the caveat that you can hear a low discernible hiss in the background. I can't ignore the low hiss. My screenwriter friend can. Another weakness: An inaccurate tuning dial. On balance, if you don't want to spend more than $53, this is your radio. If you don't mind spending $7 extra, you might check out the well reviewed digitalSangean PR-D7. 

The requirements: Radios are priced between 50-150 dollars.

1. Analog Portable Radio: The $99 Eton/Grundig S350. What I don't like about the S350 is it feels light and plastic-laden, in contrast with its rugged military look. What I do like is its performance, sound, reliability, and ease of use. I'd rank its FM  reception a 10; its AM reception is a strong 9. Its speaker is loud and full. Its competition, the digital $139 C.Crane CSW, formerly the Kaito 2100, used to be a favorite for this size radio but I downgraded it after my personal experience and others' reports of muddled speaker sound and reliability issues. So I am no longer recommending the CSW. 

Number Two. Digital Table Radio: The $80 Sangean PR-D5. Earning an 8.5 ranking on FM reception and a staggering 10 on AM, the PR-D5 is the best radio offering I've seen in the last few years. It also has RDS. Its biggest weakness is small speaker sound from its tiny stereo speakers.  The PR-D5 is a curious radio. Dainty is one way to describe its styling. However, this petite radio boasts an industry-leading 8-inch internal ferrite AM antenna.

Number 3. Clock Radio: The $85 Boston Acoustics Horizon Soloor its bigger brother the $115 Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo. No clock radios in this class produce such high fidelity. FM is ranked a 9 and AM is about 8.5. Of course, the advantage of the Duo is it's more of a good thing: stereo speakers. Also the Duo has a remote control. However, be warned the Duo leaves a larger footprint and is too heavy to rotate when you're aiming for AM reception. The Solo might be more practical by your bed, which is where mine is. My Duo is in my computer office. 

Number 4. Compact Portable: The$150 Eton E5. As I post this, it is no longer selling on Amazon. It is a modified version of a radio I own, the Kaito 1103. My 1103 is a good $50 less and performs the same on AM and FM, but I recommend you pay the extra $50 and get the E5. Why? Because the E5 has normal, intuitive controls. The ergonomics are so egregiously nonsensical on the 1103 that I rarely use and actually have a hostility toward it. One example: On the 1103 you have to adjust the volume with two steps. Press the volume button and the numerical buttons. Correction: It's three steps. Since a volume of 10 or higher is moderate to high volume, you'll find yourself pressing "Volume," then "1," then "0." This is completely ridiculous. However, the reception is excellent. I'd give the FM a 10 and the AM an 8. With the E5, you can simply turn the volume dial or press the volume button up or down. In other words, the E5 is normal and the Kaito 1103 was designed by a maniacal sadist.

Number 6. A cheap "every day" radio: The $53 RCA Super Radio(formerly GE Super Radio III). I once owned this but gave it away to a struggling screenwriter who loves it. He should love it. It has a huge speaker sound. FM reception is ranked a 10. I'd give AM a high 9, but with the caveat that you can hear a low discernible hiss in the background. I can't ignore the low hiss. My screenwriter friend can. Another weakness: An inaccurate tuning dial. On balance, if you don't want to spend more than $53, this is your radio. If you don't mind spending $7 extra, you might check out the well reviewed digitalSangean PR-D7. 

Radio Obsession Seems to be Male Hard-Wiring

As this old cartoon suggests (click on cartoon for larger image), the gender role in radio obsession seems to be a long-known truth. We are, alas, reptilian creatures:

Blogs Are About Passion, But Where Is the Line Between Passion and Pathology?

 

Dear Herculodge,

 

First of all, let me thank you for your thorough, passionate radio reviews, news, updates, etc. Secondly, let me praise your blog’s ability to step back and engage in some self-deprecatory humor. Even you seem to be aware of the absurdity of you and your readers’ radio obsession and I really appreciate your blog’s balance between earnest obsession and irony. 

But more importantly, reading your blog over the last couple of months has raised some questions, not just about your blog specifically, but about blogs in general. 

My first question: Since your blog largely focuses on radio obsession, is it essential that a blog be obsessive? I mean, most blogs seem to have some obsessive focus, be it religion, politics, gadgets, sports, etc. 

My second question: I notice you will give readers “eBay Sightings” in which you recommend a radio and then you turn around and the buy the radio for yourself. Does this not suggest you are simply using your blog to indulge your compulsive radio buying? And if this is the case, is your blog really addressing the facets of the radio world or is it merely a thin veil for you to indulge your compulsions? 

The previous question leads me to my last question: What is the line between a passion for something and an irrational compulsion? In other words, is your blog an authentic exploration of radios or a smokescreen for you to succumb to your radio shopping pathology? 

 

Dear Reader, 

First let me thank you for reading my blog. As someone overcome with the delusion of “finding a voice” through writing but not having the stamina and patience to write book-length manuscripts for the delectation of the publishing world I prefer to use my wind-sprinter’s writing bursts in the blog form. 

Regarding your first question about obsession, unless the blogger has some fire in his belly for his subject his mealy-mouthed blog will forever be lost in the shuffle, so obsession is essential. 

Regarding the Panasonic RF-1600 radio, which I bought after I convinced myself of its value to my radio collection, yes, sometimes in the process of trying to persuade readers to buy a certain radio, I end up persuading myself. I stand guilty as charged. 

Regarding the compulsion to buy radios, yes I do suffer from such a compulsion, which brings me both joy and anxiety. The joy is in the “discovery” of testing a new radio, a geekish hobby of mine. The anxiety is constantly fretting over which part of the house will host which radio. This constant shuffle and decision-making depletes more time and energy than is necessary and seems to be a part of my OCD personality. As I suffer from an anti-social personality, I tend to withdrawal from others and this retreat often causes me to be more obsessive over absurd things. Again, I stand guilty as charged. 

Now regarding your last question about the fine line between passion and irrational compulsion. That line is not an absolute one, but one that wavers back and forth. All an obsessive person can do is workout, get some fresh air, engage in something that gets him “outside himself,” and other such activities that will temper his obsession and perhaps give him a better sense of proportion. 

Reader, while I navigate fine line between passion and compulsive obsession, I wish to report my radio findings to you. That is my mission. Again, thanks for reading.

 

Herculodge Review of the Sony XDR-F1HD Coming Soon

Encouraged by the effulgent reports of excellent performance on the newest offering of HD radio from Sony, the XDR-F1, I pulled the trigger and bought one on Amazon. The price was $99 minus a $25 coupon. At $75, I could not resist. 

Because this is a radio tuner without speakers, buyers should be aware that you need to mate the tuner with a speaker system. I will be using my M-Audio AV-40 speakers. 

The review should be posted in the next week or so.