Herculodge

Possible Faulty AGC on Gary's Refurbished PR-D4W

Giving an update of his previous post about the Sangean PR-D4W, Gary writes:

Sadly, my refurbished PR-D4W only worked well for a little over one day. Now, medium strength and weaker AM stations have a greatly reduced audio level. Before, they sounded fine. It seems like the AGC is faulty. For example, KFI 640 is loud and clear on both the PR-D4W and the PR-D5. KABC 790 is loud and clear on the PR-D5, but has a very low audio level on the PR-D4W. Also, it seems like the AM auto tracking isn't working properly anymore, except maybe on strong stations.

Something in the DSP circuitry has probably gone awry, causing these two issues. Oh well. It was worth a try. Back it goes. No more Sangean "certified refurbished" radios for me.

Amazon Selling Certified Refurbished Sangean PR-D4W for $47

 

 

 

Thanks, Gary:

 

I noticed Amazon has Certified Refurbished PR-D4W radios for sale directly from Sangean America for about $47, so I bought one. I've been watching lots of PR-D4W reviews on YouTube, including yours from three years ago.

 

It's not a perfect radio, but it seems to offer AM reception as good as the PR-D5, FM reception better than the PR-D5, and doesn't have the muffled sound of the PR-D5 and PR-D15. I think it will sound clear, more like my small PR-D7, but it will have far better AM and FM reception than the latter. (My favorite portable for both AM and FM sound quality 

is still the CCRadio-SW. Most others pale in comparison.)

 

I like that the PR-D4W uses four batteries (D cells), rather than the six that the PR-D5 (C cells) and PR-D7 (AA cells) take. With the latter two, I use AA rechargeable batteries, charged externally (even though the PR-D7 can charge internally, it's not optimal to do this). With the PR-D5 I put the NiMH AA batteries in C cell adapters. With the PR-D4W I'll use Eneloop NiMH AA batteries in D cell adapters.

 

I'm not too keen on the polished black finish of the PR-D4W. Polished white or pebble grain black would be better. I also don't like that the display changes from frequency to clock after ten seconds. I think the CCRadio-2E does this also (should be an optional feature on both radios). When on, I'd rather that a radio show the frequency continuously, like the PR-D5 and PR-D7 do. Also, a handle would be nice, on the PR-D4W and on the other two.

 

I do like that the PR-D4W has multiple AM and FM bandwidth filters, a signal strength meter, and weather band coverage, all of which are lacking on the PR-D5 and PR-D7.

 

Anyway, I hope it works okay. Being refurbished by Sangean gives me some confidence. If it doesn't work as well on AM and better on FM than the PR-D5, as Jay Allen implies it should, I can always return it. In my experience, there is still a lot of sample to sample variation in radio performance.

 

-Gary

 

 

 

3 of 4 of Our Sangean Radios Have Button Malfunctions

Our Sangean radios are good performers for FM reception and speaker sound. They are reasonably priced. For user-friendly radios to use throughout the house, the kind that my wife and daughters enjoy using, Sangean is the best bet. 

However, for me a general use Sangean is not my first choice. Because I am an FM reception fanatic, I prefer more of a high-performance radio, the kind that has an SW port, so I can connect a wire antenna to the radio, which usually results in improved FM reception. That's why I have a Grundig G4000A next to my bedside table. But for the rest of my family, it's a Sangean affair. 

However, I should point out a consistent flaw, one that my wife complained about this morning: Three of four of our Sangeans have button problems.

The master bathroom radio, the Sangean PR-D4W, is an excellent value at under $60. However, sometimes when you turn it off, it does not turn off at all. Instead, the radio switches to a nonexistent FM station, like 104.5 or 88.7, resulting in loud static. You have to press off button one or more times to actually have the radio off.

The same problem of the PR-D4 persists in my daughter's Sangean WR-2 radio. 

 

The problem is even worse in the case of the Sangean-made CCRadio-2E because not only do we have the same problem described above, the presets often don't respond until after 3-6 presses. 

 

The only Sangean radio that seems to be trouble-free is the WR-50. We bought it close to 2 years ago for $130. It appears the price is now up to $170. I love the WR-50 but wouldn't be able to use it as a bedside radio for two reasons: One, it has no port for wire antenna. Two, the headphone jack is in the back of the radio. That doesn't make sense. No one wants to stretch an earbud cord around a radio. Headphone jacks should always be in the front or side of a radio. 

13-Year-Old Grundig G4000A SW Radio Replaces Sangean WR-2

Inexplicably, the Sangean WR-2 wasn't getting 89.3 KPCC without static, distortion, and bleed-in from another station, over the last few weeks, even with the wire FM antenna attached to the back of it. Who knows why FM reception is subject to variation. It could be the weather.

In any event, I put the Sangean WR-2 in my daughter's room (she gets her pop station MyFM 104.3 very easily, with the pigtail antenna on the back) and put the 13-year-old Grundig G4000A by my bedside.

The Grundig had been stored in my moist cold garage on a shelf. I resurrected it from the dead, so to speak. I took it into the warm house, sprayed Deoxit on the volume wheel due to oxidation scratchy noises, checked to see that volume scratch was gone, which it was, and I knew I was in business.

Reception for KPCC 40 Miles Away

With the telescopic FM antenna alone, KPCC has a weak signal, evidenced by the Grundig's reception meter, but when I put the wire SW antenna to the side SW antenna port, the reception is strong and clear. 

Over the years, I've had many portables, including the Degen 1103, and some old Tecsun models from about 10 years ago. They all suffered from weak tin speakers. Not so with the Grundig G4000A. The speaker sound is very pleasing. 

Because I no longer listen to AM, I don't have to worry about the inferior AM sound on this radio. I only listen to 4 FM stations: KPCC, KCRW, KJAZZ, and KUSC. All come in loud and clear on the Grundig. 

Over the 13 years, the Grundig has taken a huge beating. When my twins were toddlers, they bent and nearly broke the telescopic antenna, they knocked the radio several times off the counter resulting in some cracks in the outer case, and in general have beaten it to near death. But all operations are working well and for now, until I invest in a Tecsun PL-880 or something like it, the Grundig G4000A is my bedside radio. 

 

Carl Finds the $205 Sangean ATS-909X to be 95% as Sensitive as His $48 Tecsun PL-606

 

Carl Boches writes:

Just received a new Sangean ATS-909X black color from Amazon. I knew all about the so called deafness of the 909x. As of now my most sensitive small radio is my Tecsun PL606. I took the 606 and the 909X out on my balcony in Cebu, Philippines and tested sensitivity and selectivity. Both radios were side by side, but not so close as to have any interference from each radio. Only the whips were used, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the 909X picked up 95% of what my 606 did.

 

My conclusion is that there are more sensitive radios than the 909X but not by too much and that the ongoing quotes of the 909x being completely deaf is as far as I am concerned a lot hot air. Not to mention that the selectivity is outstanding.

 

 

Jay Allen Reviews the Tecsun S-8800

 

 I love field radios. The Tecsun S-8800, according to Jay Allen's fine review, gets high marks for FM reception, but its speaker is not as rich as the Grundig S350 and it has birdies on AM. At its $270 price point, I'll probably stay away from it for now. I'm still tempted to get the Sangean 909X or the Tecsun PL-880. 

Jay Allen Reviews the Sangean U4 Worksite Radio

 

 

Gary has apprised us of Jay Allen's Sangean U4 Worksite Radio review. It looks like a winner to me. You'll wan to buy a wire antenna to supplement the short FM rubber one that comes with the U4. Other than that, it looks good. 

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