Herculodge

Val Measures His Newly-Acquired Grundig G8 with Some Great Sony Radios

After a few reviews I got temptation to buy Grundig 8.Finally, on my table three radio receiver: Sony ICF-EX5(my favorite)price about $230 and up, Sony ICF-SW7600GR $130-150 and Grundig G8 $67CA.

After first minute I took away EX5.It is hard to beat this Radio Monster. Between two radios GrundicG8 and SonyICF-SW7600GP was god battle. Both radios are absolutely different in their construction and have different result with AM Dxing. 610 from Seattle on Sony had more noise than G8. The G8 had been trying to illuminate noise. As result that some station like 620 KG** from Tacoma got really weak almost unreadable signal. 

The Sony received still readable and loud broadcast. Some strong signal station had clear signal with little noise.  Sony had plenty noise on this frequency. Like DXing machine Sony got better result than G8 in my area, but quality of reception was better on G8. 

SW Band very similar on both radios. Sony has better sound quality than G8.SW on G8 is easy to operate to stitch meters.G8 and Sony have same steps that made both radios in some way very adequate each to other. FM reception on G8 is very surprising. With small whip antenna it receives good quality signal on weak stations. For example, some stations in my area are unreadable on my Super Radio. Only Sony can get this station clear and strong. G8 is good FM competition for Sony. By small tuning steps, I was able to receive weak signal from Nanaimo. My conclusion is G8 is very interesting radio receiver. It is not HI-END dxing machine but considering price, size, and quality it is good competitor for same and higher price receivers. It is interesting toy to play and discover .I would recommend this radio for people, who like comfort of tuning and quality. Without big expectations, it is great radio with reasonable result.

After a few reviews I got temptation to buy Grundig 8.Finally, on my table three radio receiver: Sony ICF-EX5(my favorite)price about $230 and up, Sony ICF-SW7600GR $130-150 and Grundig G8 $67CA.

After first minute I took away EX5.It is hard to beat this Radio Monster. Between two radios GrundicG8 and SonyICF-SW7600GP was god battle. Both radios are absolutely different in their construction and have different result with AM Dxing. 610 from Seattle on Sony had more noise than G8. The G8 had been trying to illuminate noise. As result that some station like 620 KG** from Tacoma got really weak almost unreadable signal. 

The Sony received still readable and loud broadcast. Some strong signal station had clear signal with little noise.  Sony had plenty noise on this frequency. Like DXing machine Sony got better result than G8 in my area, but quality of reception was better on G8. 

SW Band very similar on both radios. Sony has better sound quality than G8.SW on G8 is easy to operate to stitch meters.G8 and Sony have same steps that made both radios in some way very adequate each to other. FM reception on G8 is very surprising. With small whip antenna it receives good quality signal on weak stations. For example, some stations in my area are unreadable on my Super Radio. Only Sony can get this station clear and strong. G8 is good FM competition for Sony. By small tuning steps, I was able to receive weak signal from Nanaimo. My conclusion is G8 is very interesting radio receiver. It is not HI-END dxing machine but considering price, size, and quality it is good competitor for same and higher price receivers. It is interesting toy to play and discover .I would recommend this radio for people, who like comfort of tuning and quality. Without big expectations, it is great radio with reasonable result.

Two High School Students Debate the Pros and Cons of the Vegetarian Diet

The debate teacher Mr. Horowitz sat down at the round table and said, “I suppose this was inevitable. I assume everyone knows that Jesse is a vegetarian. It’s time we test his debating skills against Maggie’s. I realize our eating habits are profoundly personal and I hope we do our best to engage in this debate on the intellectual plane.” He looked at Jesse and said, “Can you do that?”

“I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise.”

“You and Maggie are friends. You can handle this, right?”

Jesse shrugged. Horowitz turned to Maggie. She said, “Bring it on.”

“Very well,” the teacher said. Now turning to Jesse, he said, “What are your arguments for being a vegetarian?”

“People think slaughtering animals is normal because they’re used to it. They’re numb to the horror of it. No one wants to see what happens to chickens, pigs, and cows in the slaughterhouses because it’s more than unpleasant. It’s a gruesome nightmare watching animals being tortured, watching them scream, watching the look of fear in their eyes. But package all those dead animals and put them for sale at the supermarket and suddenly it’s okay. It’s normal. We’re fooling ourselves if we think it’s ethical to inflict cruelty against animals that feel pain just like we do. That’s not acceptable to me.”

“Anything else?” Horowitz said.

“Of course there are environmental and health concerns, but to be honest with you, they don’t compare to the cruelty factor. For me, avoiding cruelty is the foundation of being a vegetarian. Everything else is almost irrelevant.”

“Okay then.” He turned to Maggie and said, “Any problem with his cruelty argument?”

“Let me first say that I respect Jesse’s choice to be a vegetarian and I agree that a lot of the treatment that animals suffer is unacceptable and that I would like more regulations on how animals are killed for our benefit. There is an ethical factor that has to be considered. But there are other factors that make the issue far more complex. I’m talking about survival and the food chain and digestible proteins. Our intestines seem to be designed to absorb nutrition from meat. It appears we’ve evolved to be omnivores. Also, there are B vitamins that we need that can only be received through meat. Then there is the problem with iron and anemia. I doubt any pedestrians would recommend a vegetarian diet, or worse, a vegan diet, to pregnant women or their babies. Do many of us overeat meat? Yes. But is the other extreme, going off meat entirely, in our best interests? I doubt that. Of course, Jesse doesn’t talk about the Eskimos and other people who have no other eating choices than meat. We eat meat to live. Some of us do more than others. Jesse doesn’t factor that into his argument. Animals eat other animals. It’s not an ethical issue. It’s a survival issue. He may feel better for being a vegetarian, but his argument doesn’t stand up to the nutritional and survival issues I’ve just raised.”

Horowitz looked at Jesse, a big kid, over six feet and over two hundred pounds, and said, “Jesse sure doesn’t seem to suffer nutritionally for being a vegetarian. I’m a meat eater myself, but just to play devil’s advocate, one could say it’s possible to choose vegetarianism and still be healthy.”

Maggie said, “He takes supplements, he knows how to combine plant proteins so that he can absorb them. Yes, you can make vegetarianism work, you can be healthy on a vegetarian diet, but that doesn’t mean it’s the optimum diet. Who knows? Maybe Jesse would be three inches taller if he ate meat.”

“Or fifty pounds heavier, like in fat heavier,” Horowitz said.

“The point is,” Maggie said, “Jesse’s diet works for him, but that doesn’t make it the best diet for most people. It’s fine to cut down on meat and eat a healthy diet. But the more fanatical one tries to push a vegetarian diet, the less the diet stands up to argument. And that’s the problem I have with most vegetarians. They aren’t flexible. They act as if their diet is absolute truth. You’re either with them or against them. And that is an oversimplification of a very complex issue.”

Horowitz looked at Jesse and said, “Maggie says your diet doesn’t stand up to the complex issues of eating and nutrition. What do you say?”

“It’s very complex, of course, but no matter how much you break it down, at the end of the day millions of animals are slaughtered and tortured when most of us have the option to not eat them. Either you have empathy for them or you don’t. I do and most people don’t.”

Maggie said, “And there’s the problem of being a vegetarian. You have empathy and meat eaters don’t, so you’re morally superior. That’s the simplistic position that doesn’t conform to the complex facts.”

Horowitz looked at Jesse. “How about it? Do you think you’re morally superior to us meat eaters?”

“That’s a loaded question. I don’t go around thinking I’m morally superior. I’m not arrogant about being a vegetarian.”

“But you have to be,” Maggie said. “If meat eating is such a moral failure, as you say it is, and vegetarianism is the moral answer, then by definition you must feel morally superior to us.”

“Maybe I do,” Jesse said. “In fact, it pisses me off that so many people have to slaughter animals for their own unnecessary eating pleasure. Yes, I’ll come right out and say it. It disgusts me. In fact, I’m appalled that so many people lack the imagination to comprehend the suffering animals go through. It sickens me all the time.”

Maggie crossed her arms in triumph and said, “I rest my case.”

“Who’s arrogant now?” Jesse said standing up. “Who’s arrogant now?”

Sangean PR-D8 Available for Pre-Order on Amazon for $136

Ante has apprised us that Amazon is featuring the Sangean PR-D8 AM/FM Radio with SD-MP3 Recorder. It records in 64k/128/K or 192 Kbps. 

 

Refurbished Panasonic RF-5000 Bidding on eBay

This refurbished Panasonic RF-5000 is currently bidding for $10. One recently bid for $500, but the mid-200 range is common.

 

Circa 1977: Rare Panasonic RS-466 Boombox

This Panasonic RS-466 may prove to be a sleeper. Current bid is $22. 

 

Very Nice Looking Panasonic RF-2200 Bidding on eBay

This Panasonic RF-2200 looks exceptionally clean. Current bid is $202. 

 

Herculodge Reader Has Reason to be Optimistic about His Tecsun PL-310

Kevin S, anticipating his Tecsun PL-310 in the next week or so, writes:

I ordered one a few days ago from a Taobao agent, and there at least 2-3 guys I know of that have ordered them today off of eBay, so hopefully we will get a good read on how well the DSP chip implementation is on this model. It's a little larger than the G8 (it looks like it has the PL-450's case), so the whip antenna should be a little longer and therefore improve the already-stellar FM performance of the G8. It should have decent sensitivity and killer selectivity on AM, and a Chinese reviewer said that Tecsun fixed the SW reception (the G8 is terrible on SW).

Amazon Customer Explains Why Amazon Has Stopped Selling Grundig G8

Thanks, Stu, who addressed my post that Amazon is investigating problems with the Grundig G8:

I am one of the complainants; specifically, the manner of shipping. Original packaging was dumped into another box, about four times the original's size with no other filler, rattling horribly on arrival.

Radio was fine if a little late, but their primary shipper was really unprofessional in dropping this ball; I got no feedback from Amazon.

Tecsun PL-310 Now Selling on eBay: $40 Plus $24 Shipping

Paul has notified us that the new Tecsun PL-310 portable radio is selling on eBay. 

 

Good Day for the Sony TFM-1000 on eBay

Some readers call the Sony TFM-1000 one of the greatest performers on AM and FM. Today two are bidding on eBay.

This TFM-1000 has an adapter and is described in good working condition with a starting bid of $10. 

This TFM-1000 has a starting bid of $50.