Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Christian, who notes:
The price of the Eton Mini has dropped again to a historic low of $24.15. I’ve been watching Grundig prices on Amazon and they’ve been moving around a lot. The lowest prices only seem to last a day or two. As we all know Amazon can change them at any time.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Larry, who notes that the price of the Grundig Mini has just dropped to $24.99 shipped on Amazon.com. Larry notes, “I believe this is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for the Mini which is a decent little pocket radio.”
I should add the standard Amazon disclaimer noting that they change price without notice.
Grundig Mini 400
Discount retailer, Blinq.com is selling the Grundig Mini 400 for $15.09 US shipped.
I have a Mini 400; it’s a handy radio, though not especially sensitive. The built-in speaker is rather shallow as the radio is very thin–you can’t expect great audio fidelity.
Still, $15.09 is an excellent deal for a small radio that can be tucked away in your car’s glove compartment for impromptu SWLing.
Grundig G5
Blinq.com is also selling a number of used Grundig G5’s via Amazon.com and via their website for $45.59 US shipped.
According to Blinq.com, these units are slightly used and may show some signs of wear. The Grundig G5 is a great, full featured radio that is no longer in production. The G5 is a sensitive and selective radio–certainly a great deal at $45.59. Note, however, that some G5’s have a rubberized coating that, over time, can feel sticky. We have a couple of posts that describe how to remove the sticky residue.
Grundig Satellite 750
Blinq.com is also selling a number of used Satellite 750’s for $170.19 via Amazon.com and their own site. The ‘750 is a larger footprint portable shortwave radio that has above average performance. I like the large controls and analog signal meter. Audio fidelity from the 750’s built-in speaker is also top-notch. The 750 is surprisingly light weight for its size.
Keep in mind that all of the radios above are used units; most likely open box items Blinq.com acquired. If you purchase one, test it thoroughly and contact Blinq if you notice any problems. SWLing Post reader, Eric (WD8RIF), purchased a used DX-402 from Blinq.com two weeks ago–turns out his unit was defective. Blinq gave Eric a hassell-free refund within a couple of days.
Tecsun PL-380
My Tecsun PL-380 and the small Eagle Creek pack that also holds my Zoom H1 recorder, earphones, audio cables, external antenna, spare batteries and Kindle.
The price of the Tecsun PL-380 was recently lowered to $41.99 US (shipped) on Amazon.com. Price includes a new unit with headphones, clip on antenna, and soft case.
As I’ve mentioned before, the PL-380 is one of my favorite compact travel radios. I’m very tempted to buy a spare one.
This article posted by Reuters is cracking at explaining why so many people still turn to SWLing:
It’s easy and cheap — and fun. You can hear and learn things that you would never find even if you work your search engine like a mule. From Swaziland to Paris to Havana, shortwave broadcasters can surprise an adventurous listener more than any MP3 playlist.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Author Robert MacMillan (with Reuters) began by comparing shortwave radios to many sleek portable digital media devices on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year:
iPods and satellite radios are slim and pocket-sized, while shortwaves are throwbacks, typically as square as a textbook and just as serious looking.
While it’s true that most portable shortwave radios are slightly bigger than a Sony Walkman, few portables approach the size of a textbook. Sony, for example, produced the ultra small SW100S years ago–before the internet was much more than an easy way for university researchers to exchange off-color jokes. The SW100S, by the way, was about the size of a pack of cards. Innovative radio designer, Etón Corporation, announced the new, sleek, Grundig Mini 400 at the CES. [Krunker.com has photos of the Mini 400 and other Etón products from the CES–order your Mini 400 at Universal Radio.] I should also note that Chinese manufacturer, Degen, recently released a new, sleek, pocket radio MP3 recorder/player–see Passport’s take here.
I was quite happy to see a few good shortwave news items come out of the CES this year. Yes, more and more focus is being given to web-based devices, and it should be. I am a huge fan of the world wide web and all that it has to offer. But what keeps me glued to my shortwave radio? MacMillian puts it best:
[W]hen you hear voices over the noise and squeal, and realize you are hearing Mongolia, live, there is a warmth and a human connection that are hard to find on the Web.
Amen. Thanks, Robert.