Best cheap poartable radios for AM Dxing

[almaniac27]

I'm a 17 year old avid DXer and I own a Grundig S350 and a RadioShack AM loop antenna which I use for DXing. I got a Grundig Mini 300PE for Christmas and it works very well with the loop antenna too. I have been looking for a new radio lately, and as soon as I get a job I'll probably go get one. I was thinking of a Sony ICF-SW7600GR or a Sangean ATS-909 because I'm also into shortwave. The reviews in my Passport to World Band Radio praised the AM reception of both radios. I've heard that the three most popular portable radios for AM DXing are the S350, the CCRadio and the GE Superadio, so I'm not sure if I will see a great improvement with these radios. Maybe I should look at that Ccrane AM antenna instead. I don't know. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[700WLW]

I'm a 17 year old avid DXer and I own a Grundig S350 and a RadioShack AM loop antenna which I use for DXing. I got a Grundig Mini 300PE for Christmas and it works very well with the loop antenna too. I have been looking for a new radio lately, and as soon as I get a job I'll probably go get one. I was thinking of a Sony ICF-SW7600GR or a Sangean ATS-909 because I'm also into shortwave. The reviews in my Passport to World Band Radio praised the AM reception of both radios. I've heard that the three most popular portable radios for AM DXing are the S350, the CCRadio and the GE Superadio, so I'm not sure if I will see a great improvement with these radios. Maybe I should look at that Ccrane AM antenna instead. I don't know. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is an excellent receiver, especially for features/price - it provides a sync/det, along with USB/LSB for SSB mode. I would compare the prices on Amazon, versus SonyStyle.com (I have seen it lately for $122, regularly $150):

Sony 7600GR:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1534

For ATS-909 versus 7600GR:

http://www.radiointel.com/portwars.htm

For cheap AM/FM/SW radios:

http://www.radiointel.com/review-various.htm
http://www.radiointel.com/review-2005digital.htm

No offense, but I had a really miserable experience with even the newer Grundig S350, and returned it to Radio Shack (I fell for a "pretty face", but should have known better). I am no expert, but the quality is very questionable, plus it has no SSB, no sync/det, suffers from drifting, no memories, and felt that all the filters were not helpful, but only muffled the very good audio. I would also stay away from the Superadio, CCrane CCradio, and Radio Shack's new AM/FM/WX model 12-150 - these are also of questionable quality and, like the S350, over-hyped DX'ers, in my opinion. I have gone through a number of AM/FM radios, digital and analog, and believe it or not, have settled on the $10 Sony ICF-S10MK2 - this inexpensive, but handsome and very good quality radio, gets the same stations as my now-returned S350 and all of my more expensive digital PLL radios:

http://www.radiointel.com/review-sonys10mk2.htm

Obviously, as a pocket-radio, it is only good for news/talk, but I grew up in the 1960's on transistor radios, and love being able to stuff it in my pocket, and listen to it at any time. I am in Maryland, and regularly get:

1040 WHO Des Moines
780 WBBM Chicago
870 WWL New Orleans
750 WSB Atlanta
Various Canadian
etc.

And, for a minute even got KRLD Dallas - these are all with just the internal ferrite-bar antenna. Of course, every one has their own taste, but I have wasted hundreds, trying to find the perfect radio, and very happily settled on the Sony. A really good place to post questions, and to search on any radio, is in rec.radio.shortwave - there are many smart and helpful people:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave?lnk=lr&hl=en

Inexpensive pocket-radios for DXing, have been discussed on this site, here:

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,57557.0.html

Just, my $.02 !

 

[vibe]

Sometimes you can pick up a old radio but w/ a decent tuner at a yard sale particularly in areas of the country w/ lots of seniors. I bought a GE (not a superradio) but one w/ great sensitivity for weaker stations for .50.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I think I bought that same radio at a Goodwill store for three bucks. It does amazingly well without any sort of external antenna. I doubt GE is still making them....I am looking forward to the day when it finally dies on me and have not seen it's replacement model in any store.

 

[vibe]

Three bucks, that's steep! Seriously, the radio has a more sensitive tuner than my Bose, not the sound obviously.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

The GE Superradio 3 is almost the most sensitive AM receiver I own. It rivals AM reception on the classic Hammarlund SP-600, and pulls in more stations than a $740 Yaesu receiver I own.

 

[vibe]

Here in SW Fla there are a lot of community yard sales in the mobile home parks in January. But other places must have em periodically. One can buy some good used radios w/ good tuners for .50-1.00. Look around in the community event section of the paper.