Owl writes:
Yet another new large portable all-band radio to be released?
http://bbs.tecsun.com.cn/0002.asp?open=515212
It looks like Eton S450 but with a keyboard and SSB.
It's made by JiDian (the company which makes CC Gozo as well as the meloson m7). It's said someone who used to work at Redsun was involved in developing this new model.
Initially this is for export only (assuming north american market, I wonder under which brand).
I have an Eton E5 and a Tescun PL-390. The E5 has a much better tuning method and the DSP on the PL-390 seems to hold on to signals with less fading especially on AM late at night. Still, I've been itching to grab a S450DLX because I want a bigger speaker. What's been stopping me was the S450DLX would have features missing that justify having to keep both the E5 and the PL-390! This new radio, with direct entry and SSB might be the radio I need to wait for. I would still probably have to keep the PL-390 for the DSP.
I did notice in my Radio Shack that the S450DLX is showing as on clearance so maybe this radio is going to be a Grundig. Sadly, the regular price on the RS website is $119.99 and the clearance price in store is $119.97. A whopping two cents savings!
Let's just hope this new radio is not plagued by the same production issues as the S450DLX has been.
Posted by: Jason | April 25, 2013 at 06:35 AM
The top picture on the website link is a photo of the radio, antenna fully extended, on the ground, just outside the fence of what looks like a major airport.
Imagine trying to set up and take that picture so close to a US airport. Homeland Security would have you all over the 6 o'clock news as thier latest "achievement" in the War on Terrorism...
Posted by: Ken K. in NJ | April 25, 2013 at 06:52 AM
"IF" this radio actually goes on the market best to wait till the bugs are worked out. Want to hear what jay allen & others think before i make a purchase. Let the impatient ones buy the prototype.
Posted by: Spin | April 25, 2013 at 07:44 AM
I agree with Spin. I'll let others have their covered wagons burned with flaming arrows by being pioneers who purchase early production units.
I hope it's C. Crane that will be importing this radio. At least they stand behind their products, which helps to some extent counteract the excessive sample to sample variation of most Chinese radios.
Posted by: Gary | April 25, 2013 at 05:05 PM
The design and color scheme scream Grundig: the power button, the LCD layout, the LCD colors, the tuner, the knobs, the antenna, etc.
Maybe Eton learned a lesson with the S450, especially about quality control, but given its track record with SWL radios as of late.... :/
Posted by: Rob Rich | April 26, 2013 at 01:01 PM
Hmmm. It's interesting enough, and it looks nice. If it's comparable to the S450DLX I think I'll pass, though.
The S450DLX is less than speculator as I said on here before, but I will give it one thing: it'll take some serious abuse. Much to my surprise I dug this thing out of the ruins of my burnt out house and it still works. Check it out:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b218/driveinfreak/grundigtoastedfull.jpg
Here's a closer look:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b218/driveinfreak/grundigtoastede.jpg
Posted by: Drive-In-Freak | April 26, 2013 at 06:40 PM
Speaking of modern-day shortwave receivers...
A reader on here that goes by the name of Bill was generous and kind enough to send me a Tecsun PL-660.
I'd heard some good, and some bad. Seems like the opinion on this one was a mixed bag at best. After dialing around on it for a few days and putting it though it's paces (including testing the MW/AM band around noon in a park away from any r.f.i.) I can say that this is a sweet little rig. It's quite impressive for not only it's size, but for being a portable in this class range.
In all fairness I no longer have a sable of radios to compare it against, but after 30 or so years of collecting radios and tuning in DX I'd like to think I know the good from the bad.
It does very well with just the built in whip, and holds it's own with a 50' longwire as well. Quite sensitive and selective. The bandwidths are well chosen and the narrow setting is quite effective.
It's performance on SSB is very good. The sync detector locks in to just about anything and does as it should.
MW/AM performance is better than average. It does not offer the same performance as a GE Superadio of an old RF-2200, but that's exactly why those radios are held in such high regard. I'd say it's quite a bit better than average if not a touch better than the Grundig S350 models. he sync detector really does it's job here.
A couple things of note it that it's very directional. You have to turn it carefully to find the sweet spot. To me this is a bug plus as it nulls out what you don't want to hear. It's also sensitive enough to pick up noise from r.f.i. sources, but that's to be expected.
This one's out of tune by about .75 KHz. No big deal at all as you can zero in on SSB signals with the b.f.o. knob.
The sound though a good set of headphones is outstanding.
FM? Yea, they play the same ten records over and over on that band. So there you go.
Oh, alright. I'd say it's actually quite a bit better than average. It'll pull in everything my PL-310 and PL-398mp will and then some. On MW/AM and the shortwave bands there's no comparison. The PL-660s simply blows those two away (yes, even the PL-398mp which is essentially the same thing as a PL-390).
Thank you so very much for the radio, Bill. I'm having a blast with it, and it's great to be able to tune back in again.
Posted by: Drive-In-Freak | April 26, 2013 at 07:13 PM
No, this radio has nothing to do with Jidian (VAL), the engineer has the same surname (Zeng) but he is not Zeng Dejun in Jidian (VAL) who designed the CC Gozo and Meloson M7. Might be a confusion with surnames.
Its true that the engineer worked for Redsun before, he promised to give updates on this radio and might get some for sale on bbs.leowood.net , but he disappeared since and no one knows the current status.
Posted by: Jack Wan | June 26, 2013 at 10:36 AM