Radio Recommendation

[McBuzzBang]

I thought this would be a good resource base to ask this question.
I want to purchase a radio. Shortwave a must. Around $100.00, definitely under $200.00. Portable a plus. Crank for an internal rechargeable battery a plus, but not a necessity.
Any recommendations?

 

[Billski]

Go to Amazon or Walmart.

 

[blantyre]

No expert here since my only SW is a very old Radio Shack device. Still it works well But probably modern ones would lock onto a signal more strongly. The Tecsun range gets good reviews all the way up from the entry level. There are some hand cranked from Kaito.

 

[Lane101]

I'm a terrestrial radio fan thanks to the wide range of stations available in the Northeast U.S. Have purchased a number of Taiwan manufacturer Sangean radios (AM/FM in both standard and HD (U.S. digital broadcast standard) radio receivers). All have worked well. Sangean also offers radios with the SW you are looking for. Another quality, though pricier, manufacturer is C. Crane. Typically need to purchase on-line as most electronics retailers offer few if any stand alone radio receivers in-store these days.

Note that most radio receivers now use Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for analog signals. Basically a microprocessor chip that processes the analog radio waves and turns them into into a digital signal. Result is a superior ability to lock on to weaker radio signals and sound quality the is primarily limited by the quality of the radio speaker. I've a $20 pocket Sangean SR-35 that has better station reception and selectivity than the older radio receiver in our home entertainment system that does not have DSP. For under $200 there are quality high end table top radios (Sangean WR-22 in our case) that can be combined with a set of amplified speaker to provide a comprehensive sound system thanks to an excellent radio receiver, bluetooth (play your iphone music) and a USB port that allows instant access to your entire digitized music library. Interestingly whether a $20 portable or $200 table top radio my sense is that all use similar Silicon Labs DSP radio chips that cost a few dollars. The difference between units comes down to items such as speaker size/quality, antenna and cabinet material and the chip features, such as SW, that are turned on.

Used the Radio Jay Allen review site to select my radios. Most fact based and in-depth radio receiver source I've seen out there. Link is at the bottom of this post.

It's unfortunate that the U.S. communications and entertainment industries have marketed aggressively to emphasize audio via the web versus airways due to the desire to shift us from a free source to one that requires regular subscription fees or data plan. With DSP receivers a really excellent listening experience (even better with HD radio) is available to those who live near metropolitan areas that still offer a good variety of stations.

radiojayallen

Jay's Radio Reviews, Comparisons & Restorations

radiojayallen.com

 

[McBuzzBang]

Thanks to all that replied, especially Lane101. I knew this site would be a good resource.