Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW), who shares the following video and notes:
Comparing side to side reception performance on RSP1A vs. RSP1 on medium wave and shortwave using SDR Console 3.
Audio level is uneven because two laptops were used. Antenna is the same, 80m OCF dipole.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,Rocky Robello (KA7EII), who writes:
Just got my new C. Crane Skywave SSB radio. Same size as my wife’s C. Crane Skywave. AM, FM, WX and Airband all work just as well on the Skywave SSB as the regular Skywave.
So far, I am very satisfied with the SSB reception on the new Skywave SSB. It has one strange quirk – when you press the SSB button, it takes about 3 to 4 seconds to go into SSB mode. Five dashes appear on the display during this wait. After that, it is great.
I enjoy aeronautical communications and I get good reception of San Francisco radio and aircraft flying between the west coast and Hawaii. This is on the built in whip antenna.
Also been tuning through the ham bands and it does a nice job. There is an extra 0.5 KHz bandwidth on SSB mode so it is possible to do some casual CW listening. I like how the “Band” button works on shortwave.
When in AM mode, it cycles through the shortwave broadcasting bands. In the SSB mode, it cycles through the ham radio bands. It even selects LSB on 160-30 meters and USB on 20 through 10.
The only other receiver I have to compare it with (other than my wife’s Skywave) is my 18-year old Sangean ATS-909. The ‘909 is a bit more sensitive on MW AM broadcast band but selectivity is as good or better on the Skywave SSB.
FM sensitivity is great and the FM selectivity of the Skywave SSB beats the ‘909 hands down. Using the built in whip antennas, the Skywave SSB is more sensitive than the ‘909 on shortwave. Haven’t tried the included roll-up antenna on the Skywave SSB yet.
Having a squelch is really nice for monitoring the VHF Airband. One thing the Skywave SSB does that the regular Skywave does not do – you can scan 10 VHF Airband frequencies on the Skywave SSB.
So far, I am very satisfied with this new, tiny shortwave receiver.
Many thanks for sharing your mini review, Rocky!
I’ll also post a CC Skywave SSB review here hopefully by the end of next week–after Thanksgiving travel. My review has been delayed a as my CC Skywave SSB production units have had some QC issues: a very slight internally-generated noise in one and subpar sensitivity in the other.
My pre-production CC Skywave SSB is as Rocky describes: a gem of a compact receiver with sensitivity equal to that of its predecessor and relatively good noise characteristics.
C. Crane engineering is looking into the issues with my early production units and dispatching a replacement. I’ll post an update and review when I receive the replacement.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Morton, who comments with assessment of the Digitech AR-1780:
I’ve been using [the Digitech AR-1780] in Australia (southern Tasmania) for about 5 weeks. In the last 10 or so days, I’ve got a 26m long wire hanging fairly reliably on a N-S bearing. My history is that I trained as a marine radio operator in the early 1980s, but worked in commercial IT; so no real radio theory and I only just started listening to SW again since being a volunteer in the South Pacific in the mid 1990s.
Now, to this radio. I quite like it although it has quirks I wish it didn’t have. In the 1990s, I used a Panasonic RF-B45 and it was rock solid until it died a few years ago. Every now and then, I try to fix it, but no luck…
Reception here is quite limited and that’s how I discovered the first quirk: when it scans at SW frequencies it skips. For example it seems to jump from about 9400kHz to 11000kHz. I also have an old Jaycar AR1747 and it also skips when scanning. They also skip from about 26100 and restart at 2300kHz. Whether it’s a design feature, or a fault, I don’t know. Other than that, I think it’s a great radio so far. The AR1780 lets you type in the frequencies it skips, it just won’t scan them.
Until I start to find some reliable interesting stations (I’ve picked up some Radio NZ Int and BBC World Service), I’m doing a fair bit of listening to WWVH in Hawaii. Sure listening to the time isn’t as fun, but it serves a purpose when comparing radios side by side. WWVH broadcasts on 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000 and 25000 kHZ I think. I can usually get 15000 subject to propagation at any time.
Until I gave it away, I also had a Jaycar AR1733 and it also skipped; they all probably share a common chip and skip the same frequencies although I haven’t checked closely. This radio looks identical to the Skywave many of you mention. The old AR1747 also had a Crane equivalent, and this was helpful as Crane’s manual was much better!
On the first tests with my long wire antenna, the AR1733 had a fairly clear signal, beat the old AR1747 and the AR1780 was the best. The AR1747 is hard on its D batteries, so may have been handicapped. As it got dark, I found the signal didn’t change much on 15000 kHz with any radio, but only the AR1780 would find 5000 kHz while scanning (since it skips over 10000 kHZ). The AR1747 does not have a keypad, so all tuning is by a dial or the scan function.
Oh yes, a hint I’ve learned for Golan. I gained the habit of punching then the desired frequency, then . The precludes the need to type in leading zeroes and trailing zeros. For example, I get WWVH by 5000 , while 15000 is 15000. This may go all the way back to the RF-B45, so I’ve had time to acquaint myself.
Next is batteries, the AR1733/Skywave needs 2xAA batteries, the AR1780 takes 4xAA as did the RF-B45. I haven’t yet run down any batteries in the AR1780 yet, but all my radios with 4 batteries have always worked better than those with only two. So the extra size is worth it, and the AR-1780 is a fair bit smaller than the old RF-B45. The AR1747 was an exception, it took 4xAA and 4xD and AA’s were almost a waste of time in it. But hey, it’s a telephone book size radio with a big speaker; so I keep it plugged in as much as I can.
Anyway, it’s almost 4PM here, we’re on DST so it’s GMT+11 hours. The bands start opening up soon so I want to get back to the radio. I’ve still got a lot of work to find the who, what and where of SW broadcasters. At least logging them is easy these days, when you tune into something, just point the mobile and it and make a movie!
Thanks for your feedback, David! I also think the AR-1780 is a gem of a little radio.
Though I own a number of portables that have better performance specs and ergonomics, I still gravitate to my ICF-SW7600GR.
Most recently, I received correspondence from Golan Klinger who has been bitten by the radio bug (he calls it “radioitis”). He has been acquiring portables and comparing them, seeking his favorite overall.
Golan had an epiphany he recently shared with me:
Thomas, in your “Mega Review” [summarizing your radio preferences] you wrote:
“But this is my personal choice; you might have a completely different answer. I guess that’s the point I made earlier–it all depends on the listener.”
Of all the valuable advice I’ve gleaned from your website, that might be the most important.
Every radio seems to have its own personality and one can read and watch all the reviews in the world but there’s no substitute for sitting down and actually listening to a radio.
I just had an epiphany — there can be no perfect radio and even if there were, finding it wouldn’t be half as much fun as the search for it.
That’s why everyone has multiple radios and when asked which is their favourite they lean back and say, “Well…”
What a wonderful hobby this is turning out to be!
You nailed it, Golan.
Indeed, with most every review I post I receive both praise and criticism later from readers. To some, sensitivity is everything–to others, it’s audio fidelity. Some listeners seek optimal reception on particular bands: longwave, mediumwave, the 31 meter band, FM, etc. There are even some who place a great deal of importance on the design and aesthetics of the radio. When I write a review, I do my best to walk in the shoes of all of these folks. It’s not an easy task.
When I’m not writing a review and am only concerned with what I value in a radio, it’s a balance of performance, flexibility and ergonomics I seek.
But as you say, there is no “perfect radio” out there that could satisfy everyone. I doubt there ever will be. Each listener has their own set of preferences–the checklist that matters to them most.
I’ll admit that part of what drives me to do radio reviews is my curiosity and the hope that each upcoming model might be a step closer to the elusive “Holy Grail” radio; for me and for you. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt!
Thanks for sharing, Golan!
The following review first appeared in the October 2017 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine.
Earlier this year one of my readers in Australia noted the addition of the Digitech AR-1780 to the product offerings of the Australia and New Zealand-based retailer Jaycar.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that there are few in-country sources of shortwave radios in both Australia and (especially) New Zealand. Jaycar, in a sense, represents what RadioShack and The Source have offered in the US and Canada––a more accessible electronics retailer with some shortwave radio selection.
Jaycar sells radios badged with the name Digitech. Unfortunately, none of Jaycar’s recent additions––and there have been a few––have been enormous hits among serious radio enthusiasts. The company currently offers five Digitech models: the AR1736 ($18.95 AUD), AR1721 ($25.95 AUD), AR1748 ($129.00 AUD), AR1945 ($159.00 AUD), and now the AR1780 ($129.00 AUD).
The Jaycar models are either very cheap sub-$30AUD digital portables, or pricier large portables with a form factor similar to the Grundig S350DL and S450DLX, or the C.Crane CCRadio-SW. The new AR1780 fits somewhere between––a compact portable that promises a compliment of features tailored for the radio enthusiast.
In this review, we’ll take a close look at the AR1780, starting with its feature set.
What appeals to me about the Digitech AR1780 is the amount of features provided by such a compact, traveller-friendly form factor.
Here’s a comprehensive list of the AR1780’s features and specs:
Frequency coverage:
Modes:
Selectable Bandwidths:
Convenient features:
Power source: 7 VDC or 4 x AA cells (not included, can be internally charged if NiMH cells)
Antenna: Built-in telescopic and 3.5mm socket for external antenna
Weight: 253g/0.56 lbs (excluding batteries)
Dimensions: 150(W) x 95(H) x 30(D)mm
The Digitech AR1780 ships with a small user manual. In fact, other than the hand strap, the user manual is the only additional item in the box besides the radio itself.
The manual is quite thin––slightly smaller in height and width than the AR1780––and only contains about eight front-and-back mini pages. Although readable, it’s littered with grammatical and punctuation errors. While a manual is certainly a welcome reference item with this feature-packed radio, this manual comes up short, lacking detailed explanations of features and even leaving some out altogether: it does not, for example, offer any explanation on the use of the excellent squelch control, nor does it fully explain the station memory set on multiple memory pages––! Rather unfortunate, as these features deserve a clear explanation.
The Digitech AR-1780, like many DSP-based portables, includes a handy temperature display which can be toggled for Celsius or Fahrenheit.
I really appreciate the modest, portable form factor of the AR1780, so it had that going for it before I even opened the box. I travel with portable radios a lot, so the compact body of the AR1780 is very appealing. It’s not as compact as the C. Crane CC Skywave series, or the Grundig G6, but is much smaller than my Tecsun PL-660 and PL-880, or my Sony ICF-SW7600GR.
Comparing size: The Tecsun PL-680 (top), Digitech AR1780 (middle), and the C. Crane CC Skywave (bottom)
Unlike the radios mentioned above, the AR1780 does not include some sort of protective case or bag. I believe this is an omission for a radio aimed squarely at the traveler.
Fortunately, the plastic chassis of the AR1780 feels substantial enough. With the key lock engaged, the only likely problem that could arise from having no protective case is damage to the display, such as scratching.
The buttons all have a tactile feedback and seem to respond quickly enough, save powering up the radio, engaging the SSB mode, or changing bands, each of which takes a couple of seconds to engage.
I especially like the fact the AR1780 has, on the right, a dedicated multi-function tuning knob. One can turn the tuning knob to scan frequencies or press it to cycle through fast or slow tuning steps (or to turn off this knob’s function entirely).
The AR1780 also has a dedicated fine tune control––a tuning wheel just beneath the main tuning knob also on the right side of the radio (see image above). The only odd quirk about this is that this is where most radios have a volume control. Being a creature of habit, many times I’ve inadvertently shifted frequencies when I simply wanted to turn up or down the volume! The volume control, meanwhile, is in the same position on the left side panel of the radio between the antenna and earphone jack.
Speaking of volume, the AR1780 can provide plenty of it-––almost room-filling audio––via the internal speaker. Best yet, I like its balanced fidelity: mellow, with notes of bass, but ample treble when listening at moderate volume. The audio response curve is almost ideal for such a small package.
Something else worth noting: the AR1780 fits nicely in the hand. In general, it’s a great size for portable listening.
Major bonus for a travel radio: the AR-1780 is powered by standard, accessible AA cells. Note that the frequency range information silk-screened on the back stand is incorrect–shortwave coverage extends up to 29,999 kHz.
On the downside, however, one negative I noted shortly after beginning use: muting between frequency steps. In AM mode, this is not as distracting as in SSB mode. Muting makes band scanning a more tedious and fatiguing experience. Unfortunately, in this era of DSP-chip-based receivers, it seems muting has resurfaced.
Also, as with many other DSP portables, you can often hear “input” noise when pressing buttons. In other words, if while listening to one frequency I decide to key in another, I’ll hear a little clicking or buzz in the audio as each button is pressed. This is a very minor annoyance since it only happens when buttons are pressed, nonetheless, I thought it worth mentioning. I often wonder if it’s a result of poor shielding, something from which similar models suffer.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the AR1780 on the air almost every day. I’ve compared it with a number of receivers, but mainly The C. Crane CC Skywave, The CountyComm GP5-SSB, and even the Grundig G6. Below, I break down my notes by band.
Let’s start with the “bonus” band: the VHF aviation band.
I’m sure there a number of readers who’ll never use this band, but I am not one of them. Personally, I really enjoy listening to aviation traffic, especially when I travel by air. Since the advent of the AIR band on ultra-compact radios, I no longer feel like I have to lug an additional scanner or receiver just to listen to the local air traffic control; that’s a plus.
Performance-wise, the AR1780 seems to be equal with the CC Skywave on the AIR band. Like the CC Skywave, the AR1780 has a squelch control––a fantastic feature, indeed. Simply tune the radio to your favorite aviation frequency, press and hold in the tuning knob on the side, and then use the tuning knob to adjust the squelch level. I find level 3 or 4 works well.
Note that unlike the squelch on the CC Skywave, the squelch control on the AR1780 actually carries over to the shortwave band. If you have squelch set on the AIR band, then switch to another band where squelch isn’t needed, you will need to turn it off. I never use squelch on the shortwave or mediumwave/AM broadcast bands; normal fading (QSB) can trick the squelch to open and close while tuned to a frequency.
Another convenient feature: press and hold the AIR button to start an automatic scan of the entire band. It’ll run through the AIR band once, saving any active frequencies. This is an ATS feature, so only makes one pass. I wish you could set it to continuously scan the aviation band in a loop, much as a traditional scanner would.
The AR1780 does a fine job on the FM band. It easily received my benchmark FM stations and even decoded the RDS from one broadcaster about 110 miles from my home base.
When listening to marginal FM signals, the AR1780 can be set to mono mode instead of default stereo mode.
What’s more, the internal speaker is exceptional at handling music––reasonably full fidelity given the limitations of the speaker size.
I’ll be the first to admit that longwave is not an easy band for me to evaluate. Here in North America, there are so few opportunities in the summer to log trans-Atlantic longwave stations. Indeed, unless I’m travelling to New England or the Canadian Maritime provinces, I never try to do so on a portable. I leave TA longwave DXing to my SDRs and tabletops back home where I can listen with the assistance of a large antenna.
But when I travel to Europe, longwave is a must, so my travel radio needs this capability. Based on my ability to receive benchmark LW airport beacons, I’m going to assume the AR1780 will do a fine job receiving European longwave stations while in Europe.
Likewise, the AR1780 should serve you well for both daytime and nighttime reception on mediumwave. Fortunately, switching between 10 and 9 kHz steps is simple: with the radio powered off, simply press and hold the “0” button to toggle between these steps.
On longwave and mediumwave, you can also use SSB mode (both upper and lower sideband). This could come in handy to reject adjacent signal interference on MW.
Likely an oversight on the part of the manufacturer, you can even engage the squelch feature, though why you would on LW and MW, I’m not sure.
Of course, with the fine-tuning control, you can navigate both bands in 1 kHz steps should you desire.
In short: the AR1780 is adequately sensitive on mediumwave and likely on longwave, as well. I wouldn’t rely on it for any serious DXing, but for a travel radio, it will serve you well.
Being first and foremost an avid shortwave listener, I spent the bulk of my AR1780 evaluation time on the shortwave bands and I’m overall very pleased with its performance.
In almost all of my comparisons on the shortwave bands, the AR1780 had a slight edge over its competition, namely, the CountyComm GP5-SSB, the Grundig G6, and the C. Crane CC Skywave.
To be clear, though, it was a very slight performance edge which I think may be attributed to the fact the AR1780’s telescopic antenna is longer, giving it a bit of gain over its competitors. For example, the AR1780’s antenna is about 17.7 cm (7 inches) longer than that of the smaller CC Skywave.
Still, placed on a table and not held in the hand, the AR1780 was able to pull in weak signals better than its competitors. I also compared it with the the Tecsun PL-680––one of my most sensitive shortwave portables––and, not surprisingly, the PL-680 outperformed the AR1780.
Again, I should stress that the sound from the AR1780’s internal speaker is more pleasant to listen to for extended periods than that of its smaller competitors.
SSB
Single sideband reception on the AR1780 is pretty impressive for a radio in this price class. On my particular unit, I found that the fine-tuning control was almost always needed to budge the frequency a few tenths of a kilohertz, even when I knew a particular signal was exactly on frequency. My Grundig G6 always had the same problem––indeed, sometimes in SSB mode, I had to listen “up” as much as 2 kHz on the G6.
The fine-tuning control works very effectively in SSB mode, nonetheless. Audio is quite pleasant, although the noise floor is not quite as low as it is on my larger portables like the Tecsun PL-680, PL-880, and the new S-8800. In my comparison tests, the AR1780 was slightly more sensitive than the CountyComm GP5-SSB, and about equal to that of the Grundig G6.
Click here to watch a short video of the AR-1780 in SSB mode.
In short? SSB is a welcome, capable addition on this compact portable.
Every radio has its pros and cons, of course. When I begin a review of a radio, I take notes from the very beginning so that I don’t forget my initial impressions. Following is the list I’ve formed over the time I’ve been evaluating the Digitech AR1780:
Pros:
Cons:
Is the Digitech AR1780 worth the price? I think so. For $129.00 AUD (roughly $103 USD), you’re getting a full-featured radio that is, by and large, a pleasure to operate. It has its quirks, but so do so many ultra-compact portables in this price bracket. It’s certainly worth considering if you live in Australia or New Zealand.
I’d like the AR1780 to be a little more refined:
What I do think is impressive for this price:
These are features that make the AR1780 stand out among radios in its price class.
Is it a benchmark performer? No. But it does the job rather well for the price, and frankly, I think I’ll use this during travel occasionally, even though I have several other smaller portables.
Why? Well, for one thing, this radio has better audio fidelity from the internal speaker than most of my ultra-compact portables. When I’m in a hotel and listening to a local radio station or even a shortwave broadcaster that’s punching through typical hotel RFI, I’ll appreciate the richer, mellower audio. Many of my smaller portables are lacking in this respect, thus I usually end up listening through headphones.
In fact, the only thing this little receiver lacks for us here in North America is NOAA weather/Environment Canada radio frequencies––but it’s no wonder it’s not included, as it was never intended for this market. But I’m glad the step size on the AM broadcast band can be switched to our 10 kHz spacing, which makes it useful here in North America.
In short, the AR1780 has exceeded my expectations––though admittedly, it may be because it was my first experience with a Digitech radio and I had heard so many lukewarm reviews of previous models.
Regardless, I’m happy I paid a small premium to order this little rig from Down Under.
If you’re a radio enthusiast in Australia or New Zealand who wants the best performance in a portable, and doesn’t mind a larger radio, then do splurge for the Tecsun PL-660, PL-880, or Grundig Satellite. There is a dedicated Tecsun distributor in New South Wales and there are always, of course, retailers on eBay and one of my favorites, Anon-Co in Hong Kong.
And if you’d like to order a Digitech AR1780 outside of Australia or New Zealand, you can purchase from this eBay seller, as I did.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who notes that the recent ARRL review of the Icom IC-R8600 is available as a free download via Icom America.
Note that Dave continuously updates his own review of the IC-R8600 as well.
Thanks for the tip, Dave!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, for producing this excellent comparison of the Tecsun S-8800 and Grundig Field BT “lunchbox” radios:
by Troy Riedel
I have been watching with interest all of the information & reviews of the new Tecsun S-8800. Frankly, I was especially interested in how it would compare with the other “lunchbox” SW radio – the Eton Grundig Edition Field BT (the Digitech AR-1748 lunchbox radio is also available in AUS for approximately $207US shipped). As I contemplated which lunchbox to purchase, I put together the following Excel comparison table of the S-8800 vs. the Eton Field BT to assist me in making my decision:
|
Tescun S-8800 |
Eton Field BT |
|
| Price: |
$268.00 |
$129.99 |
| Tuning Methods: | FM / LW / MW / SW | FM / MW / SW |
| Q.Tune | Q.Tune | |
| Digital tuner, Jog dial manual tuning | Digital tuner, Jog dial manual tuning (Fast, Slow and Hold) | |
| Auto scan tuning with 5 second stop (w/ storage) | Auto scan tuning (no tuning storage) | |
| Direct frequency entry using the remote control | ||
| Fine Tuning Knob: SW Meter Band | ||
| No soft muting when tuning | “Subtle“ Soft Muting when tuning | |
| Station Storage Methods: | Manual storage: tune into stations manually and store them | Manual storage: tune into stations manually and store them |
| Semi-auto storage: storing stations during auto scan | ||
| Auto Tuning Storage (ATS): automatically tune into and store stations | ||
| FM / MW / LW / SW | FM / MW / LW / SW | |
| AM Bandwidth: | Bandwidth selection (2.3, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0) | Narrow & Wide Settings (3.0*, 6.0*) *Reported |
| SSB: | SSB (USB/LSB) |
N/A |
| SSB tuning steps at 10 Hz / 1 kHz | ||
| SSB Bandwidth selection (0.5, 1.2, 2.3, 3.0, 4.0) | ||
|
N/A |
FM with RDS | |
|
N/A |
Bluetooth | |
| Adjustable shoulder or hand carrying belt | Hand carrying strap | |
| Remote control operation |
N/A |
|
| SYNC: |
N/A |
N/A |
| Gain: | Local / DX antenna gain switch | Local / DX antenna gain switch |
| SW RF Gain Control | ||
| Memories: | 650 station memories | 50 station memories |
| Stored stations memory browsing | ||
| Auto Sorting Memory | ||
| LCD: | Standard Backlight | Orange Backlight |
| 5-seconds or continuous settings | 10-seconds or continuous settings | |
| Clock/Alarm Time: | Clock/Alarm time (24H-format) | Clock/Alarm time (12 & 24H-format) |
| Alarm: | (1) Alarm | (2) Alarms |
| By radio only | By radio (60-mins) or buzzer (2-mins) | |
| Digital Display: | Frequency & SW meter band | Frequency & Band (e.g. FM, LW, SW1) |
| Signal strength indicator | Signal strength indicator | |
| Stored station location | Stored station location | |
| Clock & Alarm time | Clock | |
| Volume Level (while using remote) | ||
| Battery indicator & charging time | Battery Indicator | |
| Sleep Timer A & B (Selectable) | ||
| RDS Info | ||
|
* No Lock Feature |
Display Lock “On” | |
| Tuning Speed (Slow, Fast, Stop) | ||
| Sound Tuning: | Bass & Treble | Bass & Treble |
| Line In: |
N/A |
3.5mm Stereo Input for mp3 Player |
| Line Out: | (2) RCA Left & Right Stereo Channel Line Out | (1) 3.5mm Line Out for tape recorder or audio amplifier |
| Ant Selector: | Int. or Ext. Switch for FM/SW | Int. or Ext. Switch for FM/SW |
| FM/SW Antenna: | BNC: Low-impedance (50?) FM/SW | Coax: Low-impedance (50-75?) |
| MW Antenna: | High-impedance (500?) wire clamp terminals | High-impedance (500?) wire clamp terminals |
| Battery: | 2 x 18650 Li-ion Cell | 4 x “D” Cell |
| AC Adapter: | No AC included – does include a USB mini-B charging cable | 7v 1200mA DC Neg Center included |
Yes, the S-8800 without a doubt has more features than the Field BT. However, the S-8800 is slightly more than twice the price of the Field BT ($268 vs. $130)! Does the performance of the S-8800 equate proportional to the price difference?
Shortly after I made my Excel comparison table, Thomas published video comparisons of the S-8800. I very much appreciated the review and video comparisons that pitted the S-8800 against several popular portables. It gave me a baseline to set my expectations. However, those videos didn’t answer my question: “should I purchase the S-8800 or the Field BT”?
I contacted Thomas and I told him “we need an S-8800 vs. Eton Field BT” video comparison so SWL’ers have a true lunchbox vs. lunchbox comparison! I volunteered to purchase an Eton Field BT and have it delivered to Thomas for him to compare the two (after which he would forward the Field BT to me). After he hesitated, I replied: “what if I buy the Eton and we meet in North Carolina to compare them together”? Fortunately Thomas readily agreed and I made the 6.5-hour journey from Southeast VA to Mount Mitchell State Park for the Lunchbox Showdown (864-miles roundtrip on my odometer)!
Thomas and I had a limited amount of time. I arrived at noon. Thomas and I had 8-hours … and that included time for Thomas’ Parks On The Air (POTA) Activation, our S-8800 vs. Field BT comparison, we had to eat (it was a long drive for me!), and Thomas brought many other toys so we had to carve out time to “play radio” (and I can’t drive 400+ miles to Mount Mitchell and not walk to the summit of the highest point east of the Mississippi River!).
Luckily conditions were as ideal as I have ever seen them (evidenced by the fact Thomas made contacts from TX to the Azores with his Elecraft KX2). So please keep in mind, what follows is in no way a complete comparison. And to be clear, it was never my intention to review either receiver (there are many people more competent than I am that have already done this – Thomas among them!).
My interest re: these two models is primarily limited to each’s shortwave performance (I use a Sangean PR-D15 and a Grundig YB400 for AM DX, I prefer my Sangean PR-D15 for FM and I own 12 shortwave receivers). Thus our goals were to find and compare multiple representative SW signals. Thomas is obviously familiar with local AM stations in the area that he uses in his comparisons, thus we sought out a few AM signals (I recorded one to illustrate one huge difference that we both perceived in the two radios). Due to time, hunger, and eventually darkness we had to call it a day at 8 P.M.
I used my iPhone 6S to record the following comparisons. This was the first time I recorded shortwave signals. In retrospect, I wish I had made the recordings longer but at the time I was unsure of how much memory each recording would used, how much time it would take to upload, etc., so I kept everything at 1-2 minutes. As you will see, I recorded nearly all of the signals with the backlight off. You’ll see me reaching in, on Shootout 5, to tune off frequency – then back on – simply to show how the backlight would/or would not affect the weak signal on the Field BT (you’ll also see that it’s harder, outdoors, to read the Eton display without the backlight vs. the clearer Tecsun S-8880).
The Eton Field BT has its own SW RF Gain (a huge bonus) and you will see me reach into the field of view once or twice to fine tune the Field BT on weaker signals. And if you’ve studied my comparison table, you’ll see that the S-8800 has multiple bandwidth choices whereas the Field BT only has Wide & Narrow settings.
You will see me occasionally change the BW on both. I preferred not to speak during the videos as not to mask the audio of the signal thus I will set-up the specifics of each video with each individual link to my new YouTube Channel, SW Hobbyist, that I set-up to host these (and hopefully many future SW-related videos to include radio recordings & antenna comparisons).
Date: Friday, 06 October 2017
Location: Mount Mitchell State Park, NC USA
Frequency: 15580 kHz
Broadcaster: Voice of America (VOA)
From: Botswana
Target: East Africa
Frequency: 15610 kHz
Broadcaster: WEWN
From: Vandiver, AL
Target: Europe
Frequency: 15000 kHz
Broadcaster: WWV
From: Fort Collins, CO
* Wow, that’s a strong signal – is this FM?!
Frequency: 15130 & 15140 kHz
Broadcaster: NHK Radio Japan via Issoudun, France & Radio Habana Cuba via Bauta, Cuba
Target: Africa & Western North America
** I wish I hadn’t prematurely ended this recording – the Eton Field BT signal on 15130 improved after the recording ended
Frequency: 15245 kHz
Broadcaster: Voice of Korea
From: Kujang, North Korea
Target: Europe
Frequency: 11810 kHz
Broadcaster: BBC
From: Ascension Island
Target: Central Africa
Frequency: 630 AM
Broadcaster: WAIZ Hickory, NC
*** This is where I believe you will see a difference in the sound/speaker
Thomas and I both felt that the AGC of the Tecsun S-8800 was very slightly better (more stable – absolutely no “chug”) than the Eton Field BT (again, a very subtle difference). We both liked the sound of the Eton Field BT much better – it was crisp, full and just seemed to “pop” through its grill (see Shootout #7). The huge thing we both disliked with the Eton Field BT is its tuning dial. Yes, it has Q-Tune so one can jump from 5000, 6000, 7000, etc., with the push of a button but the tuning dial (even in “Fast” mode) is painfully slow and deliberate (dare I say horrible in comparison to the S-8880?). We both love the fact the S-8800 has a remote. But even without the remote, the S-8800 was much more pleasurable to manually tune.
Not to speak for Thomas, but I believe we generally felt [overall] that the SW signals were essentially close enough to call even … the edge to the Tecsun on a couple and the edge to the Field BT on a couple of others (I specifically remember us both commenting on an Arabic language broadcast from Radio Saudi Arabia where we both felt the Field BT was a very clear winner – that was one of the signals that I did not record). The better “sound” of the Field BT’s speaker may have influenced our opinions – a sound that was markedly better on FM, better on AM, but a sound that was much closer on SW.
My final thoughts and conclusion: Radios are like vehicles. No one vehicle is best for everyone. Each vehicle has a specific purpose and each has a subset of features. I own a large travel trailer. I need and thus own a heavy-duty diesel truck to tow it. But I surely wouldn’t recommend my vehicle to somebody who only needs a commuter vehicle. That’s why we have everything from SmartCars, to sedans, to SUVs, to dually diesel trucks. The same goes for radios. Some people will absolutely need SSB, others may demand SYNC (neither of these units has this feature!) while others may choose a radio based on size (compact for travel or larger models with a large, easy-to-read display for desk or tabletop use). Until now, I felt the video comparisons we had for the S-8880 were comparing a truck to an SUV to a sedan. At least now we have a few videos of two lunchbox radios compared side-by-side. True, one (the S-8800) is fully loaded (in vehicle terms: a 4×4 with a touchscreen GPS and DVD entertainment system). But not everyone who requires a truck needs a 4×4 with GPS and DVD entertainment system. Some truck owners prefer the smoother ride from a 4×2 truck. I think that’s the best way to describe these lunchbox receivers.
Am I glad that I bought the Eton Field BT? For me – despite the cumbersome tuning of the Field BT – I feel the S-8800 is not worth 2x the price of the Eton (I got an even sweeter deal for my new, sealed box Field BT off eBay that was well under the $129.99 street price). But you can make your own decision, you can decide which features are must-have, and you can listen to these videos as well as the other videos that Thomas has already posted and determine if one of these lunchbox models are in your future. And because I learned so much regarding the video recording of shortwave signals (I suffered from tunnel vision while recording – not fully aware of what I caught and what I missed), I hope I can meet-up with Thomas again so I can do a better, more thorough job with a “Lunchbox Comparison, Deuxième Partie” (that French was for Thomas – I hope I got that correct!).
Thanks for putting together this comparison, Troy! It was great hanging with you last week on Mt. Mitchell!
If you’re shopping for either of these radios, you have a few options:
The Tecsun S-8800 is only available worldwide via Anon-Co at time of posting. Eventually, they will begin appearing on eBay. There are retailers in Australia and Europe also selling the model (Important: make sure you’re ordering a model from the latest production run which solves the DSP birdie problem in early units).
The Grundig Edition Field BT is available from a variety of retailers including Universal Radio, Amazon.com, Crutchfield, Adorama and others. Occasionally, like Troy, you can find excellent prices on the Grundig Edition Field BT via eBay.