Category Archives: Radios

Degen DE1128: More photos and features released

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This blog has published more details about the DE1128. For those of us not fluent in Chinese, Google translate seems to do a fair job of translating details.

We have updated the SWRI entry for the Degen DE1128 with our interpretation of the translated features.

It appears it has many of the features we had assumed and is strikingly similar to the Grundig G2 Reporter.

Thanks to the Herculodge for the tip!

UPDATE: eBay seller Tao Qu has informed us that the Degen DE1128 will have AM (Mediumwave) steps locked in at 9kHz, meaning this portable would not be ideal for the MW DXer  in the US.

The Grundig G2 Reporter – a new shortwave radio from Eton Corporation

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(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.

A new Degen portable in the works–the Degen DE1128

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Preliminary drawings of the Degen DE1128

It appears that Degen is working on a new dual speaker portable shortwave radio–the Degen DE1128.

It looks like the DE1128 will have MP3 recording features, including a built-in microphone. The footprint and layout seem strikingly similar to the new Tecsun PL-398MP.

We will post more information on this radio as it becomes available.

A review of the Kchibo KK-9803 shortwave radio

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The Kchibo KK-9803 portable shortwave radio

Admittedly, my expectations were quite low when I ordered the re-engineered Kchibo KK-9803 for a mere $14.90 from a seller on eBay. It is, without a doubt, the least expensive portable shortwave receiver I’ve ever purchased new.  Now I know why.

Indeed, I found it hard to believe that this was actually a DSP radio, and even asked the seller to confirm this in advance of purchase. Part of my doubt arose from the fact that the Kchibo KK-9803 has been on the market for a few years as a no-frills analog radio. At some point this year, Kchibo “enhanced” this model with a DSP chip, to be much like the recently reviewed Degen DE321.

I purchased the Kchibo KK-9803 on a whim. Could this cheap radio offer enhanced performance with its new DSP-enhanced engineering? The short answer: No.

You pay for what you get

I was completely underwhelmed by the Kchibo KK9803. While the idea of affordable DSP performance is a good one, the implementation of the DSP chip in this unit is, unfortunately, poor.

My primary criticism is that the shortwave band segments are much too close to one another on the dial–hence, when tuning, the digital tuning steps (perhaps 5 kHz?) are too narrowly-spaced to offer any sort of tuning accuracy. Barely moving the tuning wheel, one may pass over even a strong station  undetectably. The only hint of the station’s existence may be a quick blip or audio buzz.

I must confess that the experience of band-scanning (tuning) this radio offers is the worst I’ve ever known. One basically cannot tune and “hear” station presence like one would on practically any other radio product. While comparing this radio to the Degen DE321 and Tecsun PL-380 (two other DSP portables I had on hand), I had difficulty locating even benchmark stations like China Radio International, Voice of Greece, RCI, and others; in fact, I couldn’t even tune in Voice of Greece on 9420 kHz because that part of the 31M band is chopped off of the KK-9803’s dial. Tuning across the band produces a very strange choppy sound, mostly void of the typical sounds you hear as you tune past stations while band-scanning on most other radios.

I did manage to tune in a few stations with considerable effort.  How one finds a strong station at all is by locating the spots on the band where sound is dead, and then meticulously fine-tuning around these areas. I use the phrase “fine-tuning” quite loosely, as there is no actual fine-tuning wheel–by this, I mean making the slightest possible movements of the tuning wheel and just hoping for the best.  This demands great fine-motor skills–but even greater patience.

Perhaps more annoying, once you actually manage to lock in a station, within the next five seconds the DSP chipset increases the volume in three overly-dramatic steps–from soft, to medium, to OUCH. Tuning this radio requires not only patience, but if using good earphones, instant readiness to adjust the volume for fear of its increasing to the point of discomfort.

Clearly, finding positive points about this radio was a challenge:

Pros:

  • Inexpensive (see con)
  • Plastic body is fairly durable
  • FM performance acceptable (see cons)

The KK-9803's band selection slider switch is loose and sloppy.

Cons:

  • Cheap (see pro)
  • Shortwave performance is dismal and DSP-lock unreliable
  • Shortwave bands are chopped up into too-small segments–active portions of the 41M and 31M bands, for example, are altogether missing
  • None of the shortwave bands include a WWV frequency
  • Tuning, via the tuning wheel, is very difficult even in FM; frequency steps are too narrowly packed, and thus difficult to access
  • FM stations are all-or-nothing: weak stations are barely audible, strong stations have overly-dramatic (and uncomfortable) stepped volume increases to accompany station-lock
  • AM band slider switch feels quite flimsy, selection ability is loose and sloppy
  • Radio defaults to FM when you turn it on

Verdict

One more positive: The back stand feels pretty durable--it's even designed to be shock-absorbing. Too bad the radio doesn't perform as well as its back stand.

If you really want a DSP radio with an analog face, spend an extra $6 and purchase the Degen DE321, or wait for the Tecsun R-2010 to be released. The only benefit I see to the Kchibo KK-9803 is its FM performance, which is acceptable. But if it’s only FM you’re looking for, my advice is to purchase a better-quality, comparably-priced radio like the Sony SRF-59 which, though without shortwave bands, has incredible AM (mediumwave) performance as well.

The Kchibo KK-9803 is a radio that should have remained in the all-analog realm; I imagine its performance in that form was more reliable and tuning much easier. Adding the DSP chip to this radio was an unfortunate upgrade–really, a downgrade, in my opinion.  In conclusion: do yourself a favor and use the $14.90 to buy rechargeable batteries or anything else besides the Kchibo KK-9803.

SiLabs brings shortwave to car radios

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Silicon Labs, a manufacture of DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chips that are in many of the shortwave radios we feature here on SWLing.com, is now taking their technology to car radios. They have announced the Si476x chip family which features AM/FM, longwave, shortwave (SW), NOAA weather band, FM RDS decoding and AM/FM HD Radio reception.

To my knowledge, this is the first time in years that shortwave has been strategically implemented in a car radio product.

Read their full press release below:

(Source: SiLabs Press release via Kim Elliott)

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Silicon Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, today introduced the industry’s most advanced automotive tuner IC family designed to deliver the highest RF performance coupled with advanced signal processing while reducing the cost and complexity of car radio systems. Offering superior price/performance for the global car radio market, the new Si476x tuner family provides a best-in-class multiband receiver solution for automotive infotainment head-units and AM/FM car radios from all classes of providers ranging from Tier 1 suppliers to aftermarket car radio makers.

According to J.D. Power and Associates, the global automotive market is expected to exceed 76 million light-vehicle unit shipments this year. The car radio technology deployed in these vehicles is evolving rapidly as innovations in communication technology proliferate in the automotive infotainment market. The basic car radio has been transformed into a sophisticated infotainment system that includes multiple tuners to deliver FM phase diversity reception, receive radio data system (RDS) data for info-navigation systems, support AM/FM HD Radio technology and provide detailed station quality metrics for living lists of broadcast content. These strenuous broadcast performance demands require advanced silicon innovations to enable a superior in-vehicle audio experience.

Silicon Labs developed the Si476x receiver family to address these major automotive industry trends. The Si476x receivers leverage Silicon Labs’ patented digital low-IF technology and combine most of the traditional external bill of materials into a highly integrated, single-chip CMOS solution. The receivers provide unprecedented flexibility, offering a modular architecture that supports scalable multi-tuner designs. The Si476x supports all worldwide broadcast radio bands including AM/FM, college FM, longwave (LW), shortwave (SW), NOAA weather band, unparalleled FM RDS decoding and AM/FM HD Radio reception. iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of HD Radio technology, has certified the Si476x family to provide AM/FM HD Radio tuner outputs and reception with compatible HD Radio demodulator ICs.

“The introduction of the Si476x tuner family represents a major new product offering from a world leader in RF products and a global player in the HD Radio market,” said Jeff Jury, chief operating officer of iBiquity. “Automakers are continuing to embrace HD Radio technology, with more than 20 automotive brands to date announcing the technology as a factory-installed infotainment feature. The Si476x family offers a compelling new solution for this market.”

The Si476x family represents the automotive industry’s first viable receiver alternative to enable developers to pair a best-in-class tuner IC with the optimal choice of audio digital signal processors (DSPs) to create highly cost-effective back-end audio processing designs. Silicon Labs has worked with leading silicon providers such as Cirrus Logic and Freescale Semiconductor to deliver comprehensive audio system solutions that break the expensive partitioning approach required by current car audio solutions.

“The combination of Cirrus Logic’s broad portfolio of audio ICs and Silicon Labs’ Si476x radio ICs provides automotive OEMs with a very powerful platform for building highly differentiated in-car entertainment products,” said Carl Alberty, director of marketing for audio products at Cirrus Logic. “By working closely with Silicon Labs, we have developed an optimized car radio platform that delivers best-in-class audio and RF technology, enabling our customers to build outstanding products.”

The superior linearity of the Si476x tuner’s integrated RF front-end, combined with a high-performance on-chip radio DSP and microcontroller, delivers outstanding RF dynamic range and immunity to multi-path fading. With this innovative architecture, the Si476x family raises the bar for such key features as selectivity, sensitivity, IMD3 break-in, desensitization, noise blanking, weak signal processing, dynamic channel bandwidth control and advanced dual-tuner FM phase diversity reception.

“The Si476x family not only delivers superior radio reception performance at the best system cost, it also provides unprecedented flexibility in audio processing solutions for car radio designs,” said Diwakar Vishakhadatta, general manager of Silicon Labs’ broadcast audio products. “With the introduction of the Si476x family, automotive developers are no longer locked into using more expensive bundled audio/radio solutions that may not address the audio processing requirements of their infotainment platforms.”

Pricing and Availability

Samples and production quantities of the Si476x car radio tuner ICs are available now in a compact 6 mm x 6 mm 40-pin QFN package. Pricing for automotive-grade Si476x tuner ICs begins at $11.62 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities. The Si4763LNA-A-EVB and Si4767PD-A-EVB evaluation boards are available to automotive customers for $450 (USD).

The Si476x family, the latest addition to Silicon Labs’ portfolio of automotive-grade radio tuners, complements the company’s popular Si474x and Si475x tuner families, which target cost-sensitive entry- and mid-level radio designs. The Si476x family addresses premium-grade, performance-intensive automotive radio and head-unit requirements. For additional Si476x product information, please visit www.silabs.com/pr/automotive-tuner.

Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Silicon Laboratories is an industry leader in the innovation of high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal design, Silicon Labs’ diverse portfolio of patented semiconductor solutions offers customers significant advantages in performance, size and power consumption. For more information about Silicon Labs, please visit www.silabs.com.

C.Crane offers Black Friday pricing

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C.Crane has “Black Friday” pricing on two of their radios:

They are selling one of my favorites for audio fidelity, the CCRadio-SW, for $124.95 (reg. $149.95) and a limited stock of refurbished units for $79.95.

They’re also selling their CCRadio-SWP, a small pocket radio with excellent MW and notable shortwave performance for $44.95 (reg. $49.95) with a limited stock of refurbished (“orphan”) units for $39.95.

According to their promotional email, prices are good through November 26th at 12:00 PM.