Re-Post: Setting the Record Straight on Ferrite Antennas: 200mm on the Grundig S350

 

I've been seeing a marked superiority in my two digital 200mm-ferrite equipped radios, my CCR-2 and my Sangean PR-D5, over my other radios (not including vintages, many of which include 200mm ferrites) and this made Ed question if a 200mm ferrite guaranteed superior AM reception. No, it does not. While many readers praise the AM reception of the Grundig S350, for me the S350 has too much background noise on the AM band (though a great FM performer). So while I suspect a 200mm ferrite usually serves a radio well, it does not, as Ed correctly points out, insure premium reception. I have Gary to thank for bringing me the following specs on the Redsun 2100 and Grundig S350:

 

From the redsun-shortwave-radios Yahoo group:

Gary: How long is the ferrite bar in the RP2100 and its variants?

Stephan: It's about 15 cm / 6", IIRC (Sony 7600 / YB400 ballpark).

 

From eham.net:

 

 

 

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3112?page=6

"I have the Tecsun version BCL-2000 [similar to the S350] and this is an outstanding portable. In MW the sensitivity [with its 8 inches ferrite rod] is better than the Sat 800 and DX-398, similar with the Sony ICF 2010 and CCradio plus."

 

Herculodge Conclusion:

 

Why spend $140 on the Redsun 2100, now rebranded as the C.Crane CSW, and get the 6-inch ferrite when you can get the 8-inch on the $100 Eton/Grundig S350DL? For me the S350 was mediocre on AM, but the CSW is even MORE mediocre, at least for my own experience. For AM reception, no modern radios come close to the CCR-2 and the PR-D5. Yes, they have 200mm ferrites and yes the S350, praised by many for its AM, has a 200mm also, but for me the S350 is not so impressive. 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Gary]

My 2009 CCRadio-SW is slightly less sensitive than my PR-D5 on the low end of the MW AM band, and slightly more sensitive on the high end of the band.

Many of these radios have too much variation in performance from sample to sample.

[JB]

The CC-SW was not that good for me on AM as well, so I returned it. My 350 is definitely better and I still enjoy this radio. I recently got a PRD-5, and I really do love that radio. Probably my best of the lot in the "larger" radio category.

In the slightly smaller category, my Grundig G4000A is my top performer of radios in that size (and competes quite well against the bigger ones). And it's one of my favorite overall radios as it's controls are very intuitive and easy. I just wish it had a tuning knob instead of the buttons; but the super-easy direct entry makes up for it.

[vimal oberoi]

How can anyone forget CC Radio-EP,with 200mm ferrite.As per Jay Allen review:

"It not only features top notch AM performance but it also about 2/3 the size and less than half the price of the excellent CC Radio-2, and it offers better sound to boot. The EP thus becomes the most sensitive AM radio in this size class. It is intuitive and simple to operate…just like a vintage AM/FM analog portable, the only added control is the Twin Coil AM Fine Tuning knob, but operation of that control becomes second nature after a short time."

[Huesby]

Sorry to disagree with you BUT CCRadioSW is the BEST on AM sensitivity thanks to its Hi gain double gate RF FET transistor, if yours happens to be of low sensitivity it´s because its misaligned and if that the case then either aligned or return it.
The Grundig S350DL is just average on AM sensitivity. I´ve got both of them.

[Tudor]

I agree with Huesby. I have a Redsun RP-2100 (identical to CCRadio SW) and it's the best AM radio I have. Excepting maybe the Eton E1, but that one does not have a ferrite antenna therefore working great only in an EMI-free environment.

[brandon]

I used to own the Kaito 2100 version of the CCRadio and it was the most sensitive AM radio I ever owned - unfortunately it just "died" after about 1 year of moderate use. But it remains to this day the only radio I have ever owned that could receive an intelligible signal on WMVP 1000 Chicago (265 miles straight-line distance away) during the daytime. Several of my Panasonic portables can just detect the signal, but not as good as my Kaito could.

[S Patrick]

The size of an ferrite antenna doesn't matter as much as other issues like internal noise, selectivity, and sensitivity. In fact, having too much antenna can be a burden and lead to overload and too much background noise.

And ferrites are way over-rated, give me a 50 long wire antenna pointed in the right direction with a radio with good gain control will easily beat any ferrite on the planet.

[Drive-In-Feak]

It's not just the antenna (in this case a ferrite loopstick) or the front end circuit that matters. It's both. They work together and are equally important.
They also have to be matched properly.