I got myself a Grundig G8 finally! Been wanting one for several weeks now, due to the excellent FM performance. Here's my review.
FM: Excellent, much better than the G5. On non-IBOC stations, interference is kept to a minimum, and stations next to each other don't cream in. For example, in Marysville I can get both KAFE 104.1 Bellingham, WA and CHHR 104.3 Vancouver, B.C. On 104.3, CHHR is alone with no interference from KAFE OR KMCQ 104.5. Should be my next Es radio!
AM: Fair, not as good as my G5. The G8 has a soft mute on the AM, meaning stations below a certain dbu level are muted out, so for weak nighttime DX...not so good. The G8 has a dbu/db meter on it as well, meaning I can get good DB reports off it. For example, I found out that KIXI 880, 50kw day/10kw night @ 1.5 mi, has a steady 86 or 87-25, sometimes up to 89-25 to the N/S, while at night it's about 83-25 or less.
SW: Fair-good. Haven't tried it out a lot yet, but omits SSB, a major part of this band (hams, VOLMET, etc.). The reception is pretty good, earlier today had a good 40+ dbu on 9420 (Voice of Greece).
Here's a bandscan I took from Marysville, WA yesterday with the G8, showing off it's good FM abilities.
87.5 unknown pirate with instrumental music
87.7 [formerly CHEK TV audio channel, finally switched off, was there AFTER August 31 and still heard TV6 audio]
87.9
88.1 CBU-2 Vancouver, BC and Everett's KEFX xlator
88.3 KEFX xlator, Mt. Vernon
88.5 KPLU Tacoma
88.7
88.9 CBUX-FM1 Victoria [it had dead air for several min. yesterday, nulling it out I heard KMIH Mercer Island]
89.1 Two KAWZ xlators with slight echo, Granite Falls and ???
89.3 KVIX Port Angeles [// KPLU 88.5]
89.5 KNHC Seattle
89.7 KMWS Mount Vernon [I never get CJSU in Marysville. Go up to Coupeville and it's nip and tuck w/ KMWS]
89.9 KASB Bellevue (!!) 60w only. During the music breaks when someone was talking, I might have heard another station [KGRG?] behind it. The G8 does great between two strong public stations
90.1 KNWP Port Angeles
90.3 KEXP Seattle
90.5 [did KSER go IBOC?] CBCV Victoria, BC [barely, and only in certain spots]
90.7 KSER Everett
90.9 [see 90.5] KVTI Tacoma
91.1 KROH Port Townsend
91.3 KBCS Bellevue/CJZN Victoria, BC
91.5 KSQM Sequim
91.7 KSVR Mt. Vernon/KXOT Tacoma
91.9 KPTZ Port Townsend
92.1 CBU-FM1 Victoria, BC
92.3
92.5 KQMV Bellevue
92.7
92.9 KISM Bellingham
93.1 CKYE Vancouver, BC [strong at times next to KISM!]
93.3 KUBE Seattle
93.5
93.7 CJJR Vancouver, BC
93.9
94.1 KMPS Seattle
94.3
94.5 CFBT Vancouver, BC [and UNID w/ Train's Marry Me, maybe KRXY Shelton]
94.7
94.9 KUOW Seattle
95.1
95.3 CKZZ Vancouver, BC
95.5
95.7 KJR Seattle
95.9
96.1 CHKG Vancouver, BC/KXXO Olympia
96.3
96.5 KJAQ Seattle
96.7
96.9 CKLG Vancouver, BC/KGY McCleary
97.1
97.3 KIRO Seattle
97.5
97.7 KOMO Oakville/CBUF Vancouver [KOMO is a monster where I was in Marysville, and CBUF is hard to get]
97.9
98.1 KING Seattle
98.3
98.5 CIOC Victoria, BC
98.7
98.9 KLCK Seattle
99.1
99.3 KDDS Elma/CFOX Vancouver, BC
99.5 CBCV-FM1 Sooke, BC [the real surprise. Very weak station on 99.5, which turned out to be // CBU-2 88.1 and CBCV 90.5. Looked it up last night, found out it was CBCV-FM1, only **64** watts @ 65 or so miles!]
99.7 [surprisingly, I did not hear CBUF-FM9 Victoria on the G8. The G5 did when tuning to 99.67 to avoid KISW IBOC]
99.9 KISW Seattle
100.1
100.3 CKKQ Victoria
100.5 CKPK Vancouver, BC
100.7 KKWF Seattle
100.9
101.1 CFMI New Westminster, BC
101.3
101.5 KPLZ Seattle
101.7 maybe CHLY in some areas? Last night was NOT the night for "up the island" DX, no sign of CHLY or 102.3 CKWV
101.9 very weak CFUV Victoria, BC
102.1 KBRC xlator, Camano Island/KSWW Aberdeen
102.3
102.5 KZOK Seattle
102.7 [and no CFRO either.]
102.9 KNBQ Centralia
103.1 CHTT Victoria, BC
103.3 KMTT xlator, Downtown Seattle (250w, have heard it as far as Freeland w/ the G5)
103.5 CHQM Vancouver, BC [with no interference from KMTT]
103.7 KMTT Tacoma
103.9
104.1 KAFE Bellingham
104.3 CHHR Vancouver, BC [like I said, no interference at all from KAFE or KMCQ]
104.5 KMCQ Covington
104.7 KDUX Aberdeen
104.9 Sonic FM out of Vancouver (isn't the calls still CFUN-FM2?)]
105.1
105.3 KCMS Edmonds
105.5 [by putting a religious station on 91.1, the former K216EN has lost a LOT of ground due to IBOC from KCMS]
105.7 CBU Vancouver, BC
105.9
106.1 KBKS Tacoma
106.3 CKAV-FM2 Vancouver, BC
106.5 KWPZ Lynden
106.7
106.9 KRWM Bremerton
107.1
107.3 CHBE Victoria, BC
107.5
107.7 KNDD Seattle
107.9
-crainbebo
FM: Excellent, much better than the G5. On non-IBOC stations, interference is kept to a minimum, and stations next to each other don't cream in. For example, in Marysville I can get both KAFE 104.1 Bellingham, WA and CHHR 104.3 Vancouver, B.C. On 104.3, CHHR is alone with no interference from KAFE OR KMCQ 104.5. Should be my next Es radio!
AM: Fair, not as good as my G5. The G8 has a soft mute on the AM, meaning stations below a certain dbu level are muted out, so for weak nighttime DX...not so good. The G8 has a dbu/db meter on it as well, meaning I can get good DB reports off it. For example, I found out that KIXI 880, 50kw day/10kw night @ 1.5 mi, has a steady 86 or 87-25, sometimes up to 89-25 to the N/S, while at night it's about 83-25 or less.
SW: Fair-good. Haven't tried it out a lot yet, but omits SSB, a major part of this band (hams, VOLMET, etc.). The reception is pretty good, earlier today had a good 40+ dbu on 9420 (Voice of Greece).
Here's a bandscan I took from Marysville, WA yesterday with the G8, showing off it's good FM abilities.
87.5 unknown pirate with instrumental music
87.7 [formerly CHEK TV audio channel, finally switched off, was there AFTER August 31 and still heard TV6 audio]
87.9
88.1 CBU-2 Vancouver, BC and Everett's KEFX xlator
88.3 KEFX xlator, Mt. Vernon
88.5 KPLU Tacoma
88.7
88.9 CBUX-FM1 Victoria [it had dead air for several min. yesterday, nulling it out I heard KMIH Mercer Island]
89.1 Two KAWZ xlators with slight echo, Granite Falls and ???
89.3 KVIX Port Angeles [// KPLU 88.5]
89.5 KNHC Seattle
89.7 KMWS Mount Vernon [I never get CJSU in Marysville. Go up to Coupeville and it's nip and tuck w/ KMWS]
89.9 KASB Bellevue (!!) 60w only. During the music breaks when someone was talking, I might have heard another station [KGRG?] behind it. The G8 does great between two strong public stations
90.1 KNWP Port Angeles
90.3 KEXP Seattle
90.5 [did KSER go IBOC?] CBCV Victoria, BC [barely, and only in certain spots]
90.7 KSER Everett
90.9 [see 90.5] KVTI Tacoma
91.1 KROH Port Townsend
91.3 KBCS Bellevue/CJZN Victoria, BC
91.5 KSQM Sequim
91.7 KSVR Mt. Vernon/KXOT Tacoma
91.9 KPTZ Port Townsend
92.1 CBU-FM1 Victoria, BC
92.3
92.5 KQMV Bellevue
92.7
92.9 KISM Bellingham
93.1 CKYE Vancouver, BC [strong at times next to KISM!]
93.3 KUBE Seattle
93.5
93.7 CJJR Vancouver, BC
93.9
94.1 KMPS Seattle
94.3
94.5 CFBT Vancouver, BC [and UNID w/ Train's Marry Me, maybe KRXY Shelton]
94.7
94.9 KUOW Seattle
95.1
95.3 CKZZ Vancouver, BC
95.5
95.7 KJR Seattle
95.9
96.1 CHKG Vancouver, BC/KXXO Olympia
96.3
96.5 KJAQ Seattle
96.7
96.9 CKLG Vancouver, BC/KGY McCleary
97.1
97.3 KIRO Seattle
97.5
97.7 KOMO Oakville/CBUF Vancouver [KOMO is a monster where I was in Marysville, and CBUF is hard to get]
97.9
98.1 KING Seattle
98.3
98.5 CIOC Victoria, BC
98.7
98.9 KLCK Seattle
99.1
99.3 KDDS Elma/CFOX Vancouver, BC
99.5 CBCV-FM1 Sooke, BC [the real surprise. Very weak station on 99.5, which turned out to be // CBU-2 88.1 and CBCV 90.5. Looked it up last night, found out it was CBCV-FM1, only **64** watts @ 65 or so miles!]
99.7 [surprisingly, I did not hear CBUF-FM9 Victoria on the G8. The G5 did when tuning to 99.67 to avoid KISW IBOC]
99.9 KISW Seattle
100.1
100.3 CKKQ Victoria
100.5 CKPK Vancouver, BC
100.7 KKWF Seattle
100.9
101.1 CFMI New Westminster, BC
101.3
101.5 KPLZ Seattle
101.7 maybe CHLY in some areas? Last night was NOT the night for "up the island" DX, no sign of CHLY or 102.3 CKWV
101.9 very weak CFUV Victoria, BC
102.1 KBRC xlator, Camano Island/KSWW Aberdeen
102.3
102.5 KZOK Seattle
102.7 [and no CFRO either.]
102.9 KNBQ Centralia
103.1 CHTT Victoria, BC
103.3 KMTT xlator, Downtown Seattle (250w, have heard it as far as Freeland w/ the G5)
103.5 CHQM Vancouver, BC [with no interference from KMTT]
103.7 KMTT Tacoma
103.9
104.1 KAFE Bellingham
104.3 CHHR Vancouver, BC [like I said, no interference at all from KAFE or KMCQ]
104.5 KMCQ Covington
104.7 KDUX Aberdeen
104.9 Sonic FM out of Vancouver (isn't the calls still CFUN-FM2?)]
105.1
105.3 KCMS Edmonds
105.5 [by putting a religious station on 91.1, the former K216EN has lost a LOT of ground due to IBOC from KCMS]
105.7 CBU Vancouver, BC
105.9
106.1 KBKS Tacoma
106.3 CKAV-FM2 Vancouver, BC
106.5 KWPZ Lynden
106.7
106.9 KRWM Bremerton
107.1
107.3 CHBE Victoria, BC
107.5
107.7 KNDD Seattle
107.9
-crainbebo
