Does Radio Shack make a good shortwave radio
News
Fairfax, Iowa
Does Radio Shack make a good short-wave if they do what is the best model
Dan Pike
with various manufacturers, like Sangean, to make them and put a Radio
Shack nameplate on them. Their best one is the most expensive one. But,
you may be able to get an equivalent model by Sangean from another source,
for less money.
Christopher A. King
>Does Radio Shack make a good short-wave if they do what is the best model
Radio Shack does not make any shortwave receivers. They do sell
receivers manufactured by other companies, though.
Over the past ten years or so, the vast majority of shortwave radios
sold at RS have been manufactured by Sangean; i.e.
ATS-800 --> DX-370
ATS-803A --> DX-440
ATS-808 --> DX-380
ATS-818CS --> DX-390
ATS-909 --> DX-398
Most of the older desktop receivers sold during the 1970s and early 1980s
were manufactured by GRE (i.e. DX-150, DX-160, DX-200, DX-300, DX-302).
I *think* that the DX-394 was/is built by GRE as well, but I'm not certain
of that. The DX-400 was built by Uniden.
Based on my own experience, the best they ever sold, in terms of the "bang
for the buck", was the DX-440. Not incredibly great in any one particular
aspect, but generally good overall and a decent performer. I've never
tried out the DX-398, though, so I'm not sure how it compares (someone
else here can probably speak on that). General consensus seems to be that
the DX-390 was a step down from the DX-440, which it replaced in the line
when the DX-440 was discontinued in 1991-2 or so.
RS also sells a few analog tuned small portables, which would probably be
better off avoided, especially if this is your first receiver purchase.
They work, but are frought with inherent problems and may actually wreck
your first shortwave listening experiences.
C.K.
Ken Finney
> model
> >
> >
> with various manufacturers, like Sangean, to make them and put a Radio
> Shack nameplate on them. Their best one is the most expensive one. But,
> you may be able to get an equivalent model by Sangean from another source,
> for less money.
This brings up an interesting question: is the DX-394 (which RS
discontinued last year) still available from the source?
Rick W 999
>for the buck", was the DX-440. Not incredibly great in any one particular
>aspect, but generally good overall and a decent performer. I've never
>tried out the DX-398, though, so I'm not sure how it compares (someone
>else here can probably speak on that).
The 398 performs a lot like the 440 as far as selectivity and sensitivity. It
has many more features though, has true sigle sideband and is a lot smaller
than the 440.
It's an improvment as far as I'm concerned.
Rick
R. Lee Allen
performer for the money. MW performance is also good. Adequate FM
performance (stereo to the phone jack). Wouldn't recommend it as your main
radio, but a very good travel portable or backup rig. Not manufactured by
Sangean, I think it is a GRE sourced item.
-Richie
Christopher A. King wrote in message
<7mij83$fe...@eccws1.dearborn.ford.com>...
>In article <7mi9qi$ht7$1...@composer.inav.net>, keve...@ia.net says...
>
>>Does Radio Shack make a good short-wave if they do what is the best model
>
>Radio Shack does not make any shortwave receivers. They do sell
>receivers manufactured by other companies, though.
>
>Over the past ten years or so, the vast majority of shortwave radios
>sold at RS have been manufactured by Sangean; i.e.
>
<snip>
Drystein
out...
It's my first and only shortwave, and I've had it for nearly 7 months. I listen
to it every day. There are few things more relaxing than lying on my bed with a
Busch after a long day of work listening to the BBC or some cuban jazz or
ANYthing, really. It was disapointing at first, but then I strung 40ft. of wire
out my window to a tree nearby tree and voila!
By far and away the best $200 I've ever spent.
Al Patrick
about $249 but goes on sale occasionally for $199. Well worth it. However,
IF
you have a computer, don't require portability, and have an extra $100 you
can get the RX-320 from Ten-Tec direct. Check out the reviews in this news
group. (Search for RX-320). http://www.tentec.com (?)
News wrote:
> Andrew Everett
> Fairfax, Iowa
>
William H. Bowen
>In article <7mi9qi$ht7$1...@composer.inav.net>, keve...@ia.net says...
>
>>Does Radio Shack make a good short-wave if they do what is the best model
>
>Radio Shack does not make any shortwave receivers. They do sell
>receivers manufactured by other companies, though.
>
>Over the past ten years or so, the vast majority of shortwave radios
>sold at RS have been manufactured by Sangean; i.e.
>
>ATS-800 --> DX-370
>ATS-803A --> DX-440
>ATS-808 --> DX-380
>ATS-818CS --> DX-390
>ATS-909 --> DX-398
Chris,
A couple of minor corrections to your list above:
ATS-818 --> DX-390 (no cassette recorder)
ATS-818CS --> DX-392 (with cassette deck)
>
>Most of the older desktop receivers sold during the 1970s and early 1980s
>were manufactured by GRE (i.e. DX-150, DX-160, DX-200, DX-300, DX-302).
>I *think* that the DX-394 was/is built by GRE as well, but I'm not certain
>of that. The DX-400 was built by Uniden.
>
>Based on my own experience, the best they ever sold, in terms of the "bang
>for the buck", was the DX-440. Not incredibly great in any one particular
>aspect, but generally good overall and a decent performer.
I agree with this wholeheardly - I still have the DX-440 I bought in
1989 and use it daily.
>I've never
>tried out the DX-398, though, so I'm not sure how it compares (someone
>else here can probably speak on that).
I like the DX-398 I just bought recently. Nice for traveling, since it
is smaller and quite a bit lighter than the 440 or 390. My only gripe
about the 398 is the FM front end is too sensitive - easily overloads.
>General consensus seems to be that
>the DX-390 was a step down from the DX-440, which it replaced in the line
>when the DX-440 was discontinued in 1991-2 or so.
Yes and no: the 390 has better audio quality than the 440 on FM, and
more "bells and whistles", but for shortwave performance, the 440
blows the 390 into the weeds. I use the 390 I bought in 1993 as a
table radio for the bedroom.
>RS also sells a few analog tuned small portables, which would probably be
>better off avoided, especially if this is your first receiver purchase.
>They work, but are frought with inherent problems and may actually wreck
>your first shortwave listening experiences.
My first shortwave radio was an old analog one, but not a portable
(you could not call a 30s vintage Sparton console radio a portable by
any possible description :)) The biggest frustration for novice users
with analog radios is the "sloppiness" of analog tuning combined with
the crowded nature of the the shortwave bands makes finding a
particular station a real exrcise in hair pulling and such. On the
other hand, you can get more raw "performance for the buck" with an
analog radio . . . One possibility is for our original poster to find
a friend that has a portable shortwave radio and borrow it for a
couple weeks for a tryout - if they find that SWLing really does get
their motor running, it will be easier to justify in their own minds
the expenditure to get a decent radio.
Regards,
Bill Bowen
bow...@best.com
Daly City, CA
GLC1173
>Does Radio Shack make a good >short-wave if they do what is the best >model
First of all, Radio Shack "makes" very little of what it sells when it comes
to radios, etc. It buys stuff - typically recognizable models sold by
name-brand companies - and sells them to you, often for much more than
discounters.
Second, my experience with Radio Shack shortwave receivers has been bad;
when shopping for a receiver several years ago, a model selling for about $150
conked out on salesmen trying to demonstrate it at two local stores - a problem
I've since heard is common to that model. (No, I didn't buy it.)
N4GSV
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Will White
that matter. However, the RS-branded Sangean radios are fine entry-level SWL
receivers. Every few months, they have a sale on the models that are
equivalent to the Sangean 818 and 818CS, and you can pick up the model that =
818 for $150, which is a good deal.
News wrote:
>
> Andrew Everett
> Fairfax, Iowa
>
> Does Radio Shack make a good short-wave if they do what is the best model
--
Will White, KD7BFX
to reply, please click this link mailto:w...@uswest.net
chris
actually i have had 4 of their radios .
First the dx160 -- older 1970's analog tabletop, report? fair to
decent but as with all analog radios of that day with single
conversion it will image receive very well *frown* not bad once it
warmed up.still got it
dx380-- small paperback book sized radio . i bought mine new for 120
bucks back in 1993 or so ? no t sure anywy a very good little radio
.still use it
dx440---excellent radio best one i think they may have had made for
them . heard tons of stuff on it with a very simple antenna.this one
died but i have it's Sangean twin the ats803a
dx 3765--not a bad little radio for 60 bucks bought my dad one for his
birthday and he loves it :)
so they have had some good ones done for them then again they have some
thrashers that were worth more as spare parts for a windup doll
*grin*
chris
--
Listening to the world in Kentucky with my Drake R-4A\Sangean
ATS-803A\Realistic DX-160\Realistic DX-380\Hallicrafters SW-500
21 ft vertical \60 ft v-shaped antenna
WWW address http://members.tripod.com/~swlchris
Christopher A. King
>dx440---excellent radio best one i think they may have had made for
>them . heard tons of stuff on it with a very simple antenna.this one
>died but i have it's Sangean twin the ats803a
Chris: what are the symptoms on your "dead" DX-440...? Did you just
lose LW/MW/SW, but still have FM working?
C.K.
CJ LEE
That's what happened to mine!
Any ideas?
CJ Lee
chris
mmmm no it died entirely needed some major work and at the least a
whole new power supply board and main board and since i had it's
twin i just retired it at the time .something on the main board gave
out and it wouldn't even turn on and RatShack wanted about as much as
i gave for it to fix it *shrugs* what the hell got the drake instead
*grin*
Chris
Christopher A. King
It's the crystal for the first IF frequency, one that's around 55MHz
or so. Had me totally fooled for a couple of days; I was troubleshooting
transistors and diodes all over the place -- never thought that a crystal
would give out like that.
C.K.