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I have to confess I'm tempted to pull the trigger on the new Eton Field Radio with RDS, SW, and 50 memories (same configuration as the C.Crane-SW?). Power comes from included AC adapter or 4 D batteries.
I should add there is a skeptical part of me that suspects this new Eton Field radio is just a rebadged $59 Grundig S450DLX with RDS added to it. I doubt the Eton Field radio is worth the extra $65, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
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Ah yes there's the rub.
Is the new Eton a new Eton or a
rebadged Grundig 450?
I bought not one but two 450's
and returned them both because they
sucked.
Posted by: Michael Brent | September 13, 2014 at 02:20 PM
Was their suckiness limited to their build quality or did it extend to FM/AM reception?
Posted by: herculodge | September 13, 2014 at 02:23 PM
A little of both really.
Mostly because of crappy AM reception.
It seemed like Eton or Grundig was trying to
make a radio that looked more well, military.
It did not work as well as my old Grundig
350 which I foolishly sold.
I am tempted to try the C.Crane SW which I understand is the Redsun 2100.
What are your thoughts?
Posted by: Michael Brent | September 13, 2014 at 02:36 PM
I have both the CCrane SW and the Grundig S350 and I prefer the FM and AM on the CCrane SW. I'll bet good money that Eton RDS Field radio is a rebadged Grundig S450DLX.
Posted by: herculodge | September 13, 2014 at 02:40 PM
There is a certain " ease of use factor"
that I value as much as the other criteria.
I just sold a Grundig G5, a later model, the one with the anti-static diodes already installed,
that I got one E-Bay for $125.00. I sold it for
$185.00. I got rid of it because I found the
memory system to be unnecessarily complicated.
100 pages with 7 spots per page.
Whose idea was this?
The radio I use more than any others is my trusty
little Grundig G8. it works well on AM and FM and its easy to use. Its 5 years old and hasn't gotten sticky yet. I want great reception and as few buttons as possible.
Posted by: Michael Brent | September 13, 2014 at 03:16 PM
Jay Allen didn't think too much of the S450DLX. It was far inferior to the RP2100.
http://radiojayallen.com/grundig-s450dlx/
Posted by: Gary | September 13, 2014 at 04:48 PM
Can´t understand why Eton insist in sold sub par quality radios...the new "mini", which already has some reviews on Amazon, seems to be a big fiasco too..
Posted by: Pablo | September 13, 2014 at 05:20 PM
They're not inventing new radio technology.
They're putting the models that don't sell in new
cases.
Posted by: Michael Brent | September 13, 2014 at 06:25 PM
I've got an old Eton E-10 that looks like it got buried in a land fill that still works great. Go figure.
Posted by: Michael Brent | September 13, 2014 at 06:27 PM
Jeff, how does the FM on your CCrane SW compare to your CCrane 2E in terms of sensitivity and selectivity?
It sure would be nice if this new Eton is a good performer on all bands and not just a 450 rehash.
Posted by: Jimmy | September 14, 2014 at 01:56 PM
I've had no problems getting FM stations with my CCrane 2E in the kitchen, but in my bedroom, the CCrane SW has superior FM to my 2E.
I'm very skeptical about the new Eton. Looks like a rehash. I hope I'm wrong.
Posted by: herculodge | September 14, 2014 at 03:57 PM
The problem with the 450 was the noise. It sequels as you tune and spots on the AM/MW dial have a ton of self generated noise. What it will pull in without the added noise is actually on par with the Sony pocket radio you see everywhere for $10 or so..not bad, but very average.
FM I didn't bother much with.
The SW bands overload with an longwire unless you turn the RF gain down to the point where it's piratically deaf. AM and FM stations bleed in all over the dial on every SW band.
I wanted so very much to like that radio, but it just had too many faults.
However it did survive a fire. I'll give it that much. The things must be built like a tank.
Posted by: Drive-In-Freak | September 14, 2014 at 04:51 PM
Here's a short overview of the Eton Field Radio 550.
http://swling.com/blog/2014/09/toms-overview-of-the-eton-field-radio-550/
Here's his comparison of the Eton 550 and the Grundig 450.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W22OG4g4uQo&list=UULVm5STfCi4fYim73JIKClA
Posted by: Gary | September 20, 2014 at 05:12 PM