Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares this deal from CountyComm:
http://www.countycomm.com/gp5ssb.html
The SWLing Post
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Must say that is one nice looking radio, it certainly walks it’s own road as far as styling goes. Does it bring local AM stations in well? Am looking for a portable for the night stand which would be used for local news and occasional light DX’ing at night.
It does a good job on shortwave and MW even without without the plugin ferrite antenna (considering the size).
My advice is buy one if you travel a lot or go out portable, I regularly take my Tescun PL-365 (GP5/SSB) with me as it weighs almost nothing compared to my PL-660 and for ad-hoc use in a hotel/temp accommodation the GP5/SSB/Tecsun PL-365 gives you SSB that performs really well.
If you are looking for a radio for the bedside or anywhere in the house get a PL-660 or PL-680 as the audio is way better and you get AM Sync too. I couldn’t recommend it for anything other than away from the QTHR as the audio from the speaker and earphones is a bit flat. That being said, it is a very capable little radio for the price point and form factor.
Thank you!
For about a year and a half I have owned the previous model GP5 DSB (or whichever model it was before the 2016 ‘upgrade/s’) and I love it! But it came with the case (free with purchase, right in the box) that looks/seems identical to the one they are now giving away for a limited time, and for which they are otherwise charging $17USD. It’s a little confusing to me. In any event, though, my case and the case shown on the site sadly lack a pretty important feature or fit issue — there is NOWHERE to store the MW ferrite antenna! You don’t want to use it all the time, of course, and so you want to keep it in a case with the receiver for the times you need it… but you can’t. And if you have the antenna plugged in, the case will not close/flap over the antenna to keep it all safe. If I have overlooked some pocket or something for the MW antenna then I am blind, and would love to be shown where. I love this little radio and have recommended it to more than a few people but the case needs to be improved enough to actually FIT the product for which it was made.
CountyComm basically has these radios manufactured for government agencies–this one, for diplomatic posts around the world. I’m pretty sure the case was manufactured specifically for this client’s needs and they weren’t looking at the MW antenna at all–they were more interested in the FM/SW features.
This case is an improvement on the one supplied with the radio. My GP5/SSB stays in this case in my backpack all the time.
You are right, though, as someone who does like MW, I wish the case could somehow accommodate the supplied ferrite bar.
The case looks well padded and protects the radio from getting banged around. Something fitting for a HT. I am not sure why I would want to wear a receiver on my belt?
The Tecsun PL-365 comes with a very good case out of the box 🙂
From their website:
Free Heavy Duty Case with Belt
Clip for first 100 People.