Radio Jay Allen

[jr_tech]

Here is a review of the 7600GR that I wrote in 2006:

For several years Sony has been moving away from the Shortwave marketplace that they once dominated. One feature that Sony included on many of their more expensive radios was the Synchronous Detector circuit, which can make a big difference in the reception of signals that are suffering from selective fading and/or adjacent channel interference. Sony seemed to "get this right" more often than other other producers of SW sets (few even offered it).

But alas, the famous 2010 (one of my all time favorite SW radios) is gone, the SW-77 is gone, the SW-100 is gone and this year the highly innovative SW-07 has been deleted.

The 7600GR is the only remaining Sony with this feature... I would not wait too long, or it may be deleted as well!

Ok, but one feature does not define the radio. I must add that the 7600GR does very well when compared to more modern designs. On AM and Shortwave, reception is quite sensitive, and with the sync detector, the fact that only one bandwith is provided is not a large handicap (many sets have two bandwidths available).

FM reception is good but not up to the level provided by the Eton E-5, Kaito 1103 or even the Kaito 1102. LW reception on the 7600 is very sensitive, and it has better "image rejection" (fewer false signals) than the E-5 or Kaito 1103. The 7600 does not have a tuning knob, so "bandscanning" is not as convenient as on the E-5 0r 1103. Note: the Kaito 1102 does not have LW or tuning knob.

In Summary, this is a well-built high quality (still made in Japan) radio that stacks up well against its competition.

Ten years later, the 7600GR is out performed by a number of cheaper imports. In my collection, it is relighted to "shelf queen" status, appreciated for what it represents, while my well worn Eton E-5 gets daily use. My E-5 is so beat up, I am hoping that the new Eton satelit will turn out to be an adequate replacement, should it fail.

jr

[musichal]

I envy you your E-5 (G-5) even though it is larger than I want, while they down-sized the new Satellit which is why I'm considering it as well. In fact, after a good bit of reading, I've decided one of these three will be my next radio:

Sangean ATS-405, about $80.
Eton Satellit, about $125.
Sony ICF-SW7600GR, about $160.

Okay, the Sangean is not likely the choice of most SWLs. I'm not currently a SWL. Would that change with a better handheld than my old Panasonic RB-40? I honestly don't know. With SW stations having been dropping like flies... All I can say is that the few stations I have received have been of very little interest to me. AM dxing provides the fun of lots of available channels and trying for a best catch, like an electromagnetic game of solitaire, but more interesting. And there's ballgames. Then why buy a multiband? They seem to comprise the best handheld models of radio, period. So maybe the Sangean is all I need.

On the other hand, if I'm to buy a radio which includes multiple bands, shouldn't I go ahead and buy a better model? That's certainly a valid way to look at it, I suppose. And that brings me to the next two on the list.

It's the build quality of the Sony vs the updated feature set of the Satellit, when you get down to why each is on my list.

So... which will I buy?

Already ordered it this am. The Satellit was the obvious choice in the end, once I considered my needs, likely use, and price. Naah, 'obvious' overstates it a bit for me, because I do find the build quality of the Sony exemplary is this size and price range. Thanks for helping me sort this out, guys.


EDIT: It's funny, I can select a preamp, amp or speaker with much more confidence than I can a radio. Have buyer's remorse already, and haven't even seen one in the flesh yet. Oh, well, it's Amazon, and I can return it if I want, but it's supposed to be here tomorrow. I guess if someone built a perfect hand-held, few of us could afford it, and quite a number of folks would modify it to improve its performance. Probably succeed, too. Immaculate reception.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by musichal

I envy you your E-5 (G-5) even though it is larger than I want, while they down-sized the new Satellite which is why I'm considering it.

-----

EDIT: It's funny, I can select a preamp, amp or speaker with much more confidence than I can a radio. Have buyer's remorse already, and haven't even seen one in the flesh yet. Oh, well, it's Amazon, and I can return it if I want

The E-5 and G-5 are both coat pocket sized radios same as the new Satellit, perhaps you are thinking of the E-1?

It will be interesting to hear your opinion of the Satellite. several years ago I tried to replace my beat up E-5 with the newer G-3 model, which appeared to be an upgrade but tuned out to be not as good as the E-5... still looking for a replacement/upgrade.

IMHO, there is no "one size fits all" radio in this catagory, each radio has strengths and weaknesses, about the best one can do is to match these to your personal preferences.
Amazon appears to have a very attractive price, but what's the "deal" are these open box specials?

jr

[musichal]

I hope not. They usually say so, if so. However, that small 'b' troubles me, probly means 'broken.' LOL. I thought it meant 'black' when I ordered, but could be b-stock? The reviews have me uneasy about it, too.

I'm not familiar with radio models, just learning, and I have read about the E-1s and E-5s and just about every other radio under the sun, it seems, and apparently did confuse the sizes.

I think autocorrect put that e on Satellit. Maybe I did out of habit, but I do know better.

As regards Amazon's price on the Satellit: I notice Universal Radio offers it for $200, but that includes a 'free' Eton Mini, which brings the two prices a bit more in line, $124 currently vs about $155, after deduction of Mini list price. Makes somewhat more sense when all factors are included.

I've been perusing a Pdf of the eton Sat manual available without downloading at the eton site. The buttons do multiple chores depending upon mode, not unusual obviously, but eton really takes this pretty far. I can understand some of the Amazon user reviews complaining of complexity, or about features they couldn't implement properly. For a newbie like me, not as familiar with relationships of all the features with which bands in which situations, the learning curve may be a bit steep. Some people have no patience for the amount of detail involved. Remarks such as "too complex" were not unusual among Amazon users which include, I'm sure, a wider type of buyers than Universal Radio attracts - or, that is, a larger % of non-enthusiasts. Still, multiple c/o "wobbly controls" and such comments do give one pause.

[jr_tech]

One thing that threw me about the Amazon reviews is that they have combined several different models in the same listing. Watch the model number closely when scanning these reviews. When does yours arrive?

jr

[musichal]

Tomorrow thanks to Prime free 2-day shipping.

Amazon reviews: if you choose "see all xxx reviews" (just under the last review on the main page) then when the page changes scroll down ever so slightly, then click "all formats" you can choose to see reviews for only the model you're interested in. However, you must choose that model before choosing to see all reviews. In other words, if you want to be able to see Satellite 750 reviews only, then that is where you begin and etc for the TravelerIII and Satellit options. It's a handy thing to know to check for, with Amazon's penchant for combining various models of things. I spend way too much time at Amazon!

[jr_tech]

Ahh thanks! I never noticed that feature before, it looks like a mixed bag of reviews and reviewer knowledge... it will be interesting to see what you think.


edit add : Perhaps a more knowledgeable reviewer base on eHam:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12160

jr