The Grundig G8 -  Travellers Shortwave Radio

I bought a Grundig G8 for around $49.99 which was affordable with a gift card.   The radio works great for receiving low power FM broadcasters, but still ok for the AM band.   The shortwave band is very good performing.  I took the radio into the Rite Aid and I was able to receive 12.160 MHz very clear.  I could hear the Alex Jones show very clear while in the Rite Aid.    It almost received the Alex Jones Show on the bus.  This is the radio I am talking about, it's got world time clock, indoor temperature (good for people who live in hot rooms),  Signal to Ratio and S Meter.  One thing it does not have is an external antenna jack, or line input or output, or SSB.  Soon Eton will come out wiith a deluxe version that will sett for the same price as the G3.   Still the radio is a great adddion to my radio collection.   Now my next pieces are the G3 and G4 coming soon and the Satelit 750, but with this economy no one in the GCC can afford such a radio. 

HERE IS WHY THE LONG WAVE AND MF RECEPTION SUCKS ON THIS RADIO! 

You see that?  The ferrite rod antenna coil is too small which makes the inductance not match for the long wave band and lower range AM.  When you tune from 153 to 320 kHz the reception is deaf, the radio cannot detect anything unless you have a high gain loop antenna for the long wave band.  So basically this radio is only good for very strong local long wave broadcast stations in the European Union, North Africa, Middle East, Asia.   But for DXing for long wave,  better get another radio such as this one down here.  Still I think China and Eton need to rewind the coil more turns and peak up the sensitivity.  Still it's not just LW that has an issue, the AM recepiton is not good ethier at 520 kHz to 600 kHz.  I am going to give Eton and express my concern for this one.     They built this radio too cheap!!

     G4000A  -  LW/MW/SW/FM with SSB portable radio.

The G4000A costs up to to $50 to $100,  it's somewhat affordable as a very good shortwave radio with the best long wave radio reception.  I have used this rig for a very long time to hear weak signal broadcasts on long wave.  The shortwave reecption is very good and it tunes better than the G8 and it comes with an external antenna.  The FM reception is good too and is satitisfactory.    And yes it has SSB reception for to hear ham radio communications during civil and natural disasters.   If I were have to have only one radio, this would be the only radio I would use all the time. 

  LW  144 to 353 kHz   MW (AM)  520 kHz to 1710 kHz    SW 1711 to 30 MHz   FM 87.5 to 108  MHz

The Coby Shortwave Portable  CX-C812  

I bought 2 of them one each for me and Tina.  They are coming this April 5, 2010.  I will have a personal photo and review of this radio.   Main reason why I bought this is cause it has long wave and I bet the long wave bands is good on this cheap portable radio for $12.99.   Great economic solution for someone on a tight budget and want to hear Alex Jones.  Alex Jones should sell this one on his site and the one on top. 

I did buy some good radios this month, and they were under $100 just to show you don't have to pay top dollar and break the bank over a shortwave radio.    I talking about radios under $50 that has LW, and all the bands you can hear.  

Here is one that I used to buy for under $50.00 that is really a poor mans shortwave receiver.  This one is just $9.99 at Seen On TV Guys. 

This one does tune the Alex Jones Show in band 4 on 12160 kHz.