Radios Part II |
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The Radios: A Fanatic's Guide & Review :
"Why do you need so many radios?" The cerebral answer is, just as a photographer owns a collection of bodies and lenses, some radios are better suited for specific uses. The other, more realistic answer is it's my hobby; one that I am passionate about. "How many baseball cards do you need?" Same answer as radios: as many as you can collect, store and afford without getting thrown out of the house!
There are hundreds of reviews regarding the radios I'm listing here. Although based on opinion, most are fairly accurate. Occasionally, however, you'll see a review that comes from outrageous expectations or a lack of knowledge. I'll base my thoughts on performance accounting for the following criteria: cost, size and intended use. You can't compare a $30 radio with one that costs $200. But if I plunk down 30 dollars, I want that radio to perform like $30. In most cases I own or have used more than one model and they have been tested in areas as diverse as midtown Manhattan to rural farmland. I'll also mention that I prefer listening through the onboard speaker than headphones; one of the reasons my hearing is still intact.
These are my opinions, yours are always welcome.
Sangean ATS-606 ($120)
After six-plus years, I still consider this one of my overall favorites. Size and performance are well-matched. Decent speaker for its size and light enough for back-packs and most travel situations.
AM/MW: Grade A (equal sens from 540 to 1700)
FM: Sensitivity A+ / Selectivity A+ (the best)
SW: B+ (see antenna comments below)
LW: Not tested.
Pros: Best FM performance out of all the portables I've tested. Excellent features, ATS seeks strongest signals and fills your presets with them, 2 clocks / 2 alarms featuring music and a buzzer. A humane wake-up starts softly, then increases until you're either awake or you knock it over, dislodging the batteries. I prefer the band-specific presets AM and LW get nine, FM and SW get 18 each. Good battery indicator and you'll need it.
Cons: Buy Lithium batteries, as most Sangeans eat alkalines for lunch. In the three units I've owned, the antenna connection becomes loose and sensitivity drops on and off in the Short Wave band. It doesn't seem to effect FM. This radio isn't built for rough usage. And for some reason, if you set the #3 preset to 880, it will occasionally revert to 800. (A quirk present in all three models I own. [ATS-606A - DX-399 - ATS-606]). Direct tuning is cumbersome.
Best Uses: Nice size for both travel and around the house. Not a great beach radio, but more than sufficient pool side. It's usually packed for all trips. Speaker is powerful enough for close range. Strong amp for headphones.
Grundig Yacht Boy 400 (YB-400PE) (Originally $150, G4000a is now $100)
At $150, this radio was good, for $100, it is an excellent buy. Now selling as the G4000a, this radio has the best speaker to amp ratio of all. Great beach / backyard radio and the first one I grab to listen to the ball game on AM. Not very easy to walk around with as it requires two hands and the antenna, when fully extended, is quite long. If you want a solid radio and don't mind the larger size, this is your first choice.
AM/MW: Grade A++ (the best from 540 to 1700)
FM: Sensitivity A+ / Selectivity A
SW: A-
LW: Not tested
Pros: AM and FM audio is superb on speaker and headphones. SW can be muddy on certain stations. Loud enough for the beach, warm enough for inside. Very easy to use and scan for stations. Direct frequency entry is a snap. Two clocks / 1 alarm (choice of music or buzzer). Time (24 hr) and signal meter are viewable when radio is on. Better than average battery life.
Cons: Battery indicator comes on only when it's time to replace them. Scrounging up 6 AA's on a moment's notice can be inconvenient. Some inconsistencies with AM reception (one model out of three was below average.) FM tunes up and down in increments of .05 MHz only. Only 40 memories, but you can use them for whichever band you wish.
Best Uses: Outside or inside, this radio provides plenty of sound for the immediate area, depending on ambient noise. Excellent with headphones. Small enough for a suitcase, but somewhat large for an overnight bag or a back-pack. A great beach and boat radio, just don't try to stand it up on uneven surfaces.
Grundig YB-550PE (Originally $120, now $60 at universal-radio.com)
This radio had the potential to be at the top of my list and despite its flaws, it remains one of my favorites. Vertical shape makes this a great radio to carry around in your hand. Light for travel and very reasonable battery life. Battery meter is good, signal meter is somewhat generous on the FM and SW bands, indicating a 5 on whatever comes in well. AM is weaker in rural areas and that's too bad. Although still available, this radio never a big seller.
AM/MW: Grade B- (best sens between 700-1200)
FM: Sensitivity A Selectivity A
SW: A+
Pros: Well-built, 200 memories, 24/12 hour clock, nice dial, loud speaker (best for voice, especially on the SW band.) Very easy to dial scan, direct tune and the memory pages allow for easy recall. 120 minute sleep feature and wake-up to favorite station are favorites of mine.
Cons: The biggest flaw is that VHF signals will override the weaker FM signals if you're near an airport. (This drove me crazy on Cocoa Beach, FL - with Melbourne Airport a few miles to the south and the Kennedy Space Center to the north.) Speaker can be harsh on over-processed FM music stations, otherwise loud enough for noisy environments. OK for headphones, but not as good as the above two.
Best Uses: Small size works for beach, camping and weekend getaways. I like to use this radio when I want to scan signals quickly and see what comes in. Has extended FM band if you're traveling to Japan.
RadioShack 12-802 (no longer available)
I receive more emails on this radio than any other. Mostly because of its short run and the fact that for its small size, it performs better than you would expect. The perfect bedside travel portable, nice sound, but not loud enough for noisy environs. A great pocket radio.
AM/MW: Grade A- (good 540-900, very good 900-1700))
FM: Sensitivity A / Selectivity A+ (best, go figure!)
Pros: Small, compact with a nice sound for the size of speaker. Fits in your shirt pocket, clock with alarm and sleep timer, stereo headphones.
Cons: I'll venture to guess that manufacturer Sangean is behind the fact this takes AAA batteries and they die fast and without warning (better with lithiums). Not conducive for outside and noisy environments, but a great late-night, bedside companion. Buttons seem flimsy. Not that great with headphones.
Best Uses: My favorite "late night" radio hands down.
Sony ICF-M410V ($35-$45)
Very similar to the ICF-M300V, with all the annoyances I found no longer there. Well mostly, Sony seems hell-bent on making their digital portables beep with every push of a button. Probably the best sounding speaker out of all, with one caveat - a weaker amp than the G4000a.
AM: Grade A+ (equal sens 540-1700)
FM: Sensitivity A+ Selectivity B+
TV: Good
Weather: Good
TV and Weather reception depends on your location. Keep in mind, there are FM signals in even the most remote areas and AM travels a good distance. VHF TV (2-13) are only in larger markets and if you can't pick up a city's FM signals, chances are you won't receive anything on the TV band. I'm not aware of NOAA's signal placement, but I assume that rural areas are not a priority. (You'll see a lot of complaints on Amazon from people who live miles from civilization giving this radio a poor rating because they can't pick up channel 2 on the farmlands of Iowa.)
Pros: Really sweet sound from the speaker. Lightweight to carry around. Very good reception on all bands. Stylish look, if you're into that.
Cons: Amp isn't that strong, so you'll hit the distortion level early. It's loud enough for personal use or a small room, but that's it. Mono earplug and no earpiece included. The AC adaptor (wall wart) is almost impossible to find. (Sony definitely has dropped the ball on these two issues.) No dial light and a funky twist knob to dial scan. No handle or carry case, but does fit in two hands easily.
Best Uses: Looking at the list of cons, you'd think I's rate this radio low. On the contrary, if you wanted a solid AM / FM performer, you'll be very pleased with this radio. For $45, it's worth the cost (and you can definitely find it for less).
Grundig Mini World 100 ($30)
What makes this radio appealing is its size. Slip it into any pocket and you have instant access to FM, AM and the major Short wave bands. When carrying a radio isn't feasible, you can practically roll this up in your tee shirt sleeve.
AM: D+ (C 540-800, C- 800-1200, D above 1200)
FM: Sensitivity: B Selectivity C
SW: B+
Pros: Did I mention size? A robust speaker that sounds pretty good on AM and SW, a little harsh on those over-processed FM stations. Excellent amp and sound with decent headphones. (As good as any of the above.)
Cons: Let's start with the biggie. A major design flaw is that when listening through the speaker on FM, you do not get left plus right monaural, you get right channel only. Fine for the Beach Boys, unacceptable for "Bohemian Rhapsody." I was finally able to use the tip of a ball point pen, clip off the tube, remove all remaining ink and stick it into the earphone jack where it will give me left plus right without muting the speaker. AM is very inconsistent unit to unit, but mostly poor compared with the similarly-sized 12-802 above. I bought and returned three until Eton sent me my current model (for the stereo problem they didn't believe true) and the AM wasn't as bad. Has a tendency to mute sound during nulls in FM signal (while moving the unit) instead of just letting the noise go through.
Best Uses: Anywhere a larger radio won't do. I like to have it in Manhattan where I can enjoy baseball games in the park, then slip it in my pocket when I go into a restaurant. Hiking / camping deep in the woods, this will bring short wave to the most remote places in the world where you have to carry everything you need on your back. At Aunt Jenny's 90th birthday and you want to slip out back to catch the score? This fits in a suit pocket unnoticed (except by my wife who knows I have it somewhere). Once I "fixed" the mono problem, I enjoy using this radio.
Sangean DT-200VX
The upgrade for the DT-200V makes a few improvements and adds one error in design. As I meantioned above, I prefer speaker use to headphones so I only use this radio on the LIRR when I can't listen through the speaker. A very strong performer that is perfect for many listening situations.
AM: A (equal sens 540-1700)
FM: Sensitivity A Selectivity A
TV: A
Pros: Solid reception on all bands. Clock and lighted dial (see cons). Decent sounding headphones (sounds excellent on good headphones).
Cons: Either the speaker comes from a 1970's Bell telephone or it's designed to sound that way. There's no alarm and the dial lights with every button push, adding to Sangean's propensity for building radios that love to drain batteries. The worst feature is the "Favorites" button that scans through a memory of 18 stations you select. Let's say you scan to a memory selection at 104.1 and want to hear what's up the dial at 104.9, you switch back to regular tuning and viola! The last station you had on was at 89.9 and you have to dial all the way back up. That's half the beauty of memory buttons; they bring you closer to other parts of the dial.
Best Uses: On the LIRR. With electric trains wreaking havoc on AM signals, this little beauty will keep WFAN and the NY Mets in my headset well into Suffolk County. Not to mention when the game is on Channel 11, I can hear that as well.
Some radio pictures
courtesy of Joe Lynn. His radio collection
here
12-802 picture courtesy of Sarah Lowrey's amazing collection on transistor.org
Also, tescun.com, sonystyle.com, sony.com.pa, and universal-radio.com
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