{"id":53261,"date":"2022-07-07T21:23:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T01:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=53261"},"modified":"2022-07-07T21:23:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T01:23:46","slug":"can-the-eton-elite-satellit-meet-2022-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/can-the-eton-elite-satellit-meet-2022-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Eton Elite Satellit meet 2022 expectations?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest commentary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>The Elite Satellit: Can Eton Deliver to Radio Users Who Expect Higher QC and Feature Standards?<\/h1>\n

by Dan Robinson<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s been many years since the original E1 took the hobby world by storm. Everyone remembers the issues that plagued the E1, from the rubber coating that degraded over time, to display and encoder issues, and the calibration issues that frustrate some users.<\/p>\n

In anticipation of the arrival of the Elite Satellit, I got both of my E1s out of storage — one in the 9xxx serial number range required a de-gooing session, accomplished quite well using Max Pro cleaner and 70% alcohol. It was interesting note, during that process, that the XM module on one side of the radio was more sensitive to color loss than other parts of the cabinet, reducing to an almost silver color when all was finished.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Original Eton E1 XM<\/p><\/div>\n

Using the original E1s provided a reminder of how good these receivers were and still are, if you have managed to avoid display and encoder issues. The combination of PBT, triple selectivity and highly-effective SYNC was a blockbuster combination. The radio failed only in the area of quality control.<\/p>\n

As Universal Radio and other distributors prepare to send out the first tranche of receivers, some thoughts are in order. The first is that one hopes Eton has lessons from the first go around regarding Quality Control. I have a sinking feeling about this based on my experiences in recent years reviewing receivers by Tecsun.<\/p>\n

Eton needs to know that those who will buy the Elite Satellit, and that includes old-timers like myself but newcomers to the hobby, now have much higher standards specifically because of the features we have seen Tecsun and some other manufacturers put in portables.<\/p>\n

Primarily, the presence of a recalibration capability really poses a challenge where the Elite Satellit is concerned. Discerning buyers no longer have to put up with a radio that has calibration and\/or stability problems. This is why I am curious as to whether Eton included an adjustment function through software or an adjustment hole as with the original E1. So far, there has been no confirmation on this question from Eton or anyone else.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Original Eton E1 XM<\/p><\/div>\n

With an older E1, tweaking of the master oscillator was possible through the small adjustment hold in the rear of the radio cabinet. This was tricky since in many units the hole was inconveniently located directly under one of the plastic ribs on the back.<\/p>\n

I solved this problem by gently cutting a small section of one rib with a Dremel or similar tool, providing easier access. Still, adjustment has to be done carefully due to the sensitivity of the pot, and preferably with a non-metallic jewelers flat head screw driver. Even then, movements of the radio would often throw the radio back off.<\/p>\n

But again, E1 users were spoiled by the recalibration capability which Tecsun included on receivers from the PL-880 to the 990x and 501s and even the PL-368, all of which provide a software method of zeroing frequency in SSB. Even Malahit SDRs have a fine adjustment setting in software.<\/p>\n

If Eton has not taken this into account, and has not made any recalibration possible, I fear that it may face a good number of buyers who will simply return radios that suffer from significant frequency error. In short, a “good enough for government” approach by Eton when it comes to calibration QC is simply not going to be sufficient because for years now, Tecsun has been setting a higher standard.<\/p>\n

Physical cosmetic issues too will also be an important indicator as to Eton’s attention to QC. If Eton learned its lesson from the rubberized cabinet fiasco, this should not be a major problem. But I would urge owners of the new Elite Satellit to examine your radio for QC issues, like LCD pixel problems, wobbly knobs and loose encoders, and issues with the telescopic antenna.<\/p>\n

All of this becomes even more important because Eton is charging so much for this radio. Even taking inflation into account since the original E1 appeared, $599 for a radio that adds only HD and AIR band as features, but which still might suffer from QC problems is extremely high and I fear Eton may end up with numerous returns if the Elite Satellit fails in any key areas.<\/p>\n

So, the clock ticks down to the moment when many of us will receive that box containing the Eton Elite Satellit. The question is will what is inside be able to meet the higher standards we have come to expect from a multi-band portable?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest commentary: The Elite Satellit: Can Eton Deliver to Radio Users Who Expect Higher QC and Feature Standards? by Dan Robinson It’s been many years since the original E1 took the hobby world by storm. Everyone remembers the issues that plagued the E1, from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,3781,836,3,43],"tags":[2635,9880,24,7822],"class_list":["post-53261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-fm","category-new-products","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-dan-robinson","tag-elite-satellit-hd","tag-eton","tag-eton-elite-satellit-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-dR3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":53805,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/guest-post-dans-letter-concerning-the-new-elite-satellit\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":0},"title":"Guest Post: Dan’s letter concerning the new Elite Satellit","author":"Thomas","date":"August 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who publishes the following guest post: Letter to Eton:\u00a0 Cutting Corners on Elite Satellit Won't Succeed by Dan Robinson As SWLing.com readers will recall, weeks before Eton shipped the first group of Elite Satellit receivers I published a commentary that asked a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Dan-Robinson-Eton-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Dan-Robinson-Eton-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Dan-Robinson-Eton-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Dan-Robinson-Eton-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38149,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/06\/wow-check-out-the-new-eton-elite-satellit\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":1},"title":"Wow! Check out the new Eton Elite Satellit!","author":"Thomas","date":"June 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brent Levit, who notes a new Eton receiver in the latest\u00a0 Universal Radio print catalog: the Eton Elite Satellit. Raise your hand if you see the similarities between the Elite Satellit and the famous Eton E1 (photo below)? Brent also notes: \"Universal Radio has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-E1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-E1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-E1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43321,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/eton-elite-satellit-delayed-until-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":2},"title":"Eton Elite Satellit delayed until 2021","author":"Thomas","date":"May 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who have pointed out the recent update from Universal Radio regarding the availability of the Eton Elite Satellit. Per Universal Radio: 05\/11\/20 Eton expects this new model to be available in 2021. Beacause of the date uncertainty we are not accepting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53698,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/eton-elite-satellit-hd-receivers-now-shipping\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":3},"title":"Eton Elite Satellit HD Receivers – Now Shipping","author":"Guy Atkins","date":"August 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanks to commenter Keith on my \"Consistently Inconsistent\" article, we learn that the Eton Elite Satellit HD receiver is now shipping. Keith purchased the receiver from Amazon.com and is expecting delivery on August 18. Note that over the half-hour it took me to write this update article, Amazon's stock of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eton Elite Satellit HD","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eton-Elite-Satellit-HD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eton-Elite-Satellit-HD.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eton-Elite-Satellit-HD.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eton-Elite-Satellit-HD.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53739,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/eton-elite-satellite-update-august-20-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":4},"title":"Eton Elite Satellite Update (August 20, 2022)","author":"Thomas","date":"August 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Eton Elite Satellit Update (August 20, 2022) As many SWLing Post readers have pointed out, Universal Radio has posted the following update to their product page for the Elite Satellit: Our initial allocation of radios arrived 08\/17\/22. Our Q\/C testing detected a problem with the radio. We are working closely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Noel-Photos-Internal-Satellit-15-225x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Noel-Photos-Internal-Satellit-15-225x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Noel-Photos-Internal-Satellit-15-225x300.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Noel-Photos-Internal-Satellit-15-225x300.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Noel-Photos-Internal-Satellit-15-225x300.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38236,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/06\/update-eton-elite-satellit-expected-q4-with-pre-order-price-of-345-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":53261,"position":5},"title":"Update: Eton Elite Satellit expected Q4 with pre-order price of $349 US","author":"Thomas","date":"June 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Universal Radio has posted a product page for the new Eton Elite Satellit. Pre-Order As they have done in the past, Universal is offering a \"pre-order\" discounted price of $349.95 that will not be charged to the buyer until the unit actually ships. Availability Universal expects the Elite Satellit to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Eton-Elite-Satellit.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}