(Photo source: Eton Corporation)
It looks like a new Grundig shortwave radio is in the works, with availability as early as 2nd quarter.
I was just sent the following press release which was published prior to the 2012 CES:
(Source: Eton Press Release)
(Palo Alto, CA – January 9, 2012) – Etón Corporation, a leading creator of high-performance, green-powered consumer products, announces the Grundig G2 Reporter. The Grundig G2 is a portable travel radio that features multi-language capabilities and five tuning methods, providing a convenient way to listen to your favorite content wherever you go, from anywhere in the world.
The G2 Reporter is another reliable radio and information source added to the Grundig series. Use the five tuning methods – jog, manual, auto, memory, or ATS (Auto Tuning Storage) – to quickly scan or browse stations from anywhere in the world – hearing broadcasts in each country’s native language. The G2 furthers its international appeal with multiple language capability, allowing users to choose from a variety of languages to be shown on the LCD display.
Additional features of the G2 Reporter include:
AM/FM/WB frequencies
Dual stereo speakers with digital volume control
Signal strength indicator
Sleep timer and alarm clock functions
Multiple language selection
Ports: 3.5mm headphone output, line-in, MIC,
MINI-USB 2.0 jack (high speed)
Rechargeable lithium battery (1250mAh), charge through USB
“Etón has partnered with Grundig for the past three decades and we are proud to continue the brand’s long-standing quality tradition with the introduction of the G2,” said Esmail Amid-Hozour, CEO of Etón Corporation. “Grundig enthusiasts remain loyal and we know they won’t be disappointed with the innovative products in our 2012 line.”
Weighing only 9.6 oz. (272 g), The Grundig G2 Reporter is the ideal product for global travelers. Available in Q2 2011, the Grundig G2 Reporter will retail for $150 USD. For more information on Etón Corporation and its products, visit www.etoncorp.com.
Though very similar in appearance and features to the Tecsun PL-398MP or, better yet, the future Degen DE1128, I imagine that Grundig has put their own spin on this small rig. I have found that quality control tends to be much better via Grundig than Degen. With these specifications, it would indeed be a great portable SW radio for travel.
Update 1/11/12: Universal Radio has now listed the Grundig G2 in their catalog.
I haven’t had a SW radio since the early seventies (it was a big radio shack radio with a big plastic door and a tuning face that was ‘old style’ – it had all the bands drawn on the dial and a 6″ long dial would sweep across the band. Band selection as, as I recall, from a series of push buttons), but I was never very serious about it. I was inspired by a neighbor that had a huge national geographic map of the world where he used push pins to mark countries he heard… Any way, I got a ‘free’ Reporter G2 radio from Universal Radio when I bought a ham radio from them. I’ve enjoyed it so far (3 months ownership).
I pack it when I travel to my inlaw’s house in NJ (he lives in country on a hilltop) and I’ve ‘snared’ lots of great SW stations with just the whip antenna, sitting on his background porch. I recently heard Taiwan, Australia, Kazhackstan, and a boat load of Spanish stations, along with US religious broadcasters from Tennessee, FL, and Maine.
There most certainly are better radios, and the things I’d like to see in a SW radio would be finer tuning (5 kHz step sucks on ham bands), and SSB reception. I enjoyed listening to a boat anchor net on 7.290 the other day, but that was my boy possible because a) they transmit on a freq that is a multiple of 5 kHz, and b) they transmit in AM (not side and).
For what it is, not what it isn’t, and considering it’s street price around $40-50US, I think this is a great little radio.
Note – if you are worried about battery life, you can pick up a cheap 2,600 ma phone recharger batter for $5-10US that will recharge the battery is USB cord.
Hey everyone, I just figured out a way to get around the coarse 10 kilohertz tuning step used in the medium wave bands on the Grundig G2 Reporter! You can offset the tuning of the the radio by first, typing the first two digits of a medium wave frequency below 1000 kilohertz and then, for the third digit, type in the number of kilohertz you would like the tuning to be offset by. Once you have done this, press the number 9 and hit enter. After this, you will still tune in 10 kHz increments, but you will now be off frequency. For instance, if you used the keystroke 5-6-8-9 you would find yourself on 568 kHz. However, please note that if you try to shortcut this process and just type in 5-6-8 and then hit enter, you will receive an error message. Although it is a somewhat cumbersome process of fine tuning, I believe this trick could greatly benefits some medium wave listeners living in cities deal with crowded band conditions.
I have owned this radio for about 2 months, here are the things I have noticed…
The good:
– The G2 has shortwave reception almost matching that of my Tecsun PL880
-The e-reader function works great for programming shortwave schedules, contains bookmarks for easy access
-Audio is decent through earpieces
– Recorder events can be labeled using a computer
– The receiver is small enough to fit into a small coat pocket
– The radio is available new for only +- $50
The Bad:
– No glue of any sort is used to keep the plastic knob from falling off
– Receiver controls are somewhat complicated e.g, it requires that push in the knob 3 times and then turn the knob just to begin a recording session
– A glitch causes the G2 to freeze up after a recording event is deleted, because there is no reset button the only way of solving this problem is to take out battery and then put it back in again, in which case the time and date settings have to be reset again.
Summary: The Grundig G2 Reporter is excellent receiver for its price class and probably receives more criticism should, however, those interested in the G2 should still look at the upgraded 1128H version which has many of the operational peculiarities and glitches fixed.
I got the Reporter G2 today (oct. 20, 2013) it was on sale for 39.95 usd, soooooo disapointed with it! SW doesnt work well. This is the second time I buy a radio of this brand and will be the last one. Will continue buying TECSUN. Dont even waist your money buying G2 Reporter!
There is a new Grundig “G2 Reporter” Yahoo! group…
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrundigG2Reporter
el reportero g2 grundig tiene weather