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write your own review of the Grundig S350 AM/FM/SW World Receiver.
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VE1BLL
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 26, 2007 17:00
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Eton S350DL - better than I expected
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My review is about the Eton S350DL; a slight variation on the Grundig S350.
I picked up this funny red radio at The Source in Canada for Cdn$60 (August 2007). I bought it specifically to bring along on a month-long vacation to the Philippines. We planned to be on a smaller island for a full week (rustic, no easy Internet access) and I knew that a SW radio would get a good work-out. Mostly for listening to BBC World Service, but also to tune up and down the bands to see what's on SW in SE Asia.
At the outset I considered this radio to be a 'clown' radio (not really a serious radio) but this meant that if my luggage was lost I wouldn't be too upset. Others have called this type of radio 'cheap and cheerful' which is perfectly accurate.
I brought along a printout of the BBC schedule into SE Asia. When I had a free moment, I would plop down in the nearest chair or hammock and dial-up BBC. Easy and simple. Worked every single time. I was actually impressed with the performance and reliable reception. Even when the signal momentarily faded nearly into the atmospheric noise floor, this radio still delivered nice audio. One could actually just sit back and enjoy the programming.
Sound quality is good, the speaker is pretty big. There are a couple of adjustments (narrow and LPF) that actually did something helpful. Bass and Treble normally set to max.
I also tuned up and down the bands and stumbled across Radio Australia booming in with their Breakfast Club show. Another armchair copy.
The radio also provided a zillion interesting signals up and down the broadcast bands. It did not lack for basic sensitivity using just the whip, but the images were fairly obvious too.
For comparison and back-up, I had also brought along my very best $20 no-name pocket size SW radio; one of those with the analog tuning and digital frequency display. Wasn't even close; basically useless.
Back to the S350DL:
The tuning knob does wobble a bit as it goes around.
The automatic frequency lock feature worked reasonably well, but it would eventually unlock and suddenly be 5 kHz off. This was most often caused by bringing the cold (air conditioned) radio outside to the hot and humid air.
I had to reset it once (poke a tooth pick into the reset hole on the front to reset the CPU). This was likely cause by rough handling in the suitcase causing the D-cells to rattle open and closed.
Back light and (24-hour) clock are very nice. You can set the back light to just stay on. With D-cells for power, who cares.
It fits snugly into a legal carry-on bag (radio width to carry-on bag width). It runs on D-cells so they last for a long time.
In summary, the S350DL seems to be well worth Cdn$60 (but perhaps not $100). It kept me tuned into BBC while relaxing on a small tropical island and I didn't have to risk bringing along a more serious radio.
I'll give it a 4, but this is on the 'clown' radio scale. On an absolute scale it might be about a 2.
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KA2IBN
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 11, 2007 02:54
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S350DL
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I needed a portable radio and this one fits the bill. You can't rate this radio by comparing it to units costing more which are designed for chasing DX stations. This radio is fun to use and a challange which brings back the joys of when I began short wave and BCB listening. I wish I had this radio way back then. Well worth $100 and carried by Radio Shack.
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BOSWELL
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 10, 2007 16:53
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Good Audio Quality, Bad Drift
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This was my second shortwave radio and one of my largest, third to my two Trans-Oceanics, and it is a very good reciever. It has all desireable features (excluding SSB) and good sensitivity, but there are some flaws. First, the major flaw is the drift. This radio drifts up to 6 KHz is a five minute span. The second flaw is the bandwidth switch. Leave it on narrow, because the wide setting is extremely wide. It recieves stations well, but leaves somethign to be desired. I payed $100 for mine a few years ago and still think it was a bit pricey. I would say it's worth about $40-50, but not $100. Get a used one so you don't spend so much money. If you want bang for your buck, go for a Trans-Oceanic on eBay, I got my Royal 7000 for $80 and I'd say it's worth that and then some.
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MIKEWALSH
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Rating: 3/5
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Aug 15, 2007 18:05
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Well Worth $40
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just picked up a S350DL refurb off eBay for forty bucks.
I was thinking Superadio III but wanted the S350DL's backlit digital display because I often listen in low light.
The S350DL overall is a "cheap and cheerful" portable with its own strengths and weaknesses.
In no particular order,
Weaknesses :
There is a serious overloading problem on FM, fortunately solvable by collapsing the whip antenna.
Images on SW.
There is often a loud, irritating hum on MW when not tuned to a listenable signal, apparently because the 350 is hypersensitive to manmade and background noise.
SW recepton is good enough for the boomers but don't expect much more. SW is a little weak off the whip antenna. If you want real DX'ing, this one's not for you.
Strengths :
Contrary to what some have reported, my tuning knob does not wobble. It gets from end-to-end quickly and is a pleasure to use. The course/fine tuning dials are well designed.
The blue electroluminescent backlight underlies the entire display, turns on momentarily whenever you use the tuner, and can be set to stay on till power-off if you prefer, even on batteries. Best backlight I've ever seen on a portable.
Excellent selectivity on FM. Gets many stations that my more expensive Grundig Satellits do not.
The whip antenna is well made and sturdy, and the joint stays stiff, no drooping.
Very good but not great audio, full rich sound with seperate bass and treble controls.
Two MW/SM filters to choose from.
The MW/SW gain control comes in handy on some signals.
Highly directional MW reception - you can peak and clean up a MW signal greatly by turning the radio.
Good but not great sensitivity on MW, a little less than on my CCRadio, for instance.
General points :
The build quality is on the cheap side, but good enough if you accept that this relatively inexpensive radio is unlikely to be a long-lived collector's item the way a real Grundig would be.
There are no memories, but this is of course an analog set, so that's not a flaw per se.
No SSB or sync detection, but again, this was not meant to be a top-shelf digital radio.
On FM the AFC setting doesn't seem to help at all, but that's no great loss to me.
A select-a-tenna helped somewhat on MW, as expected.
The plastic strap/handle combo is kind of cheap looking, but is comfortable and works well enough.
Bottom line - at the full current price of $100, you might be better served looking elsewhere, especially at the Kaito KA-2100, but if you pick up one of these quirky S350DL's on the cheap and accept a few limitations, it's a lot of good old-fashioned analog fun to tune around the bands with.
I hope that helps you decide.
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ALCUIN
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Rating: 1/5
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Jun 9, 2007 21:00
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Assume it's disposable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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AA0NI and others provide excellent reviews of the performance of this radio. I loved the audio quality and SW sensitivity. Mine went dead just as the 1 year warranty expired - both on AC & batteries. A simple trace of the power circuit led to a dead-end at an IC. I happened to notice yesterday that of 6 units on ebay, 3 wouldn't turn on and were being sold for parts. Don't buy it unless you will be happy with planned obsolescence. I bought a used Sony 2010 to replace it.
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AA0NI
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 24, 2007 08:23
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GE Superadio IV
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was looking for a good AM receiver for listening to talk radio at work where I have an RF unfriendly building (no SW, very little AM, and decent FM). When I started looking for a GE Superadio III for work, I came across comments about the S350. I already have two SW receivers (Grundig Sat 800 and RS DX-398). I didn't need another SW receiver - or - at least I didn't think I needed one. So - I was initially sold on the AM/MW performance of this receiver.
Well - I was blown away by the sensitivity of this portable. When I tried it at home in the backyard, signals just seemed to boom in from all over on AM, SW, and FM. The big analog tuning is nostalgic - just like a multiband portable I used 20 years ago as a pre-teen Novice saving for my first transceiver.
Favorite aspects of this radio:
- Hi sensitivity (I think the SW LPF behaves more like a pre-amp switch) - DX-398 had to have a 30 ft wire clipped on in order to compete with the S350 and Sat800 basic whip antennas
- Larger knobs and simple analog tuning (none of this keypad/PLL stuff) makes for fun "hands on" radio ... I keep wanting to tune around and find everything I can hear
- Extremely long life on a set of 4 D-cell batteries - excellent for emergency preparedness or long camping trips
- AM Bandwidth: narrow is good (not too narrow), wide is like old HiFi ... really good for strong/local signals
- FM AFC - turning this off makes it easier to pick out weaker signals in between the powerhouse stations
- Tuning by hand makes you more aware of signals in relation to each other (you don't hop from one band to another)
- I've read that this radio has a larger 9" loop antenna making it a great receiver for picking out weaker AM stations
- Also very sensitive - and pretty selective - on FM ... doesn't have as much trouble with FM overloading that I have on my other two receivers - I live in Oklahoma City - overloading might not be noticable if you live 60 miles or more from a major TV/radio market
- The digital readout is handy - but it may confuse some folks who associate a digital display with memories, band scanning, keypads, and PLL tuning. This is only a simple frequency counter to help you figure out what frequency you've tuned to. This makes it much handier than a very simple analog dial.
Disadvantages of this radio:
- Simple direct conversion design is plagued with SW images (i.e. hearing the same WWV signal on 10000 and 9090 kHz ... 910 kHz apart)
- Some people might not like having to fine tune by hand - I think this is half the fun
- No SSB (but that's what my HF transceiver is for) - 99% of my SW listening is AM broadcasters (not utility stations)
- In my opinion, this is not a good radio for true DXing because it is not as selective, and has problems with images that might interfere with weak signals - but that doesn't mean you won't hear DX signals - it just won't perform as well as dual conversion receivers because of the multiple image problem.
- RF gain doesn't do much except between numbers 0 and 3 on the RF gain dial
- Some folks might complain of the radio drifting - I use this inside a temperature regulated building and haven't noticed much of any drift - but I'm using it on AM (MW) where drift would be less noticable
- This radio is more prone to overload on frequencies close to my local 50kW than the other two receivers (the local 50kW also has an image appearing 910 kHz lower)
The performance of this radio is scary. I had to seriously consider the value of my other two receivers (DX-398 new $200-250, Sat800 new $400-500) for basic SW listening when comparing the cost and performance of the two. I'm not selling any of them. The Sat800 still pulls out signals better than either radio (and it should - it has multiple IF filters and synchronous detection), but it is a BIG radio and uses more power than the other two radios. The 398 is the smallest of the three and has 260 SW memories, RDS, and the ability to quickly locate and 'memorize' all of the local stations in a new area, but it needs extra wire to compete on SW, and it's audio is lacking - even with headphones. Neither radio can compete in terms of the simplicity and long battery life of the S350.
The initial impression I had was still very good. When I first turned it on with the built in whip, it felt like I had 100 ft of wire attached to it.
This is a very good radio for those who are new to SW radio (and those who are old timers). The next time the family goes camping, this radio is going with us. I purchased this as a closeout item at RadioShack for $70, but would have gladly paid $100 for it even though it has No memories, No SSB, and problems with the single conversion design that is plagued with images. It is that much fun.
If I had to be stranded with one of my three receivers - the S350 would be the one I'd pick because of its sensitivity, basic design, and long battery life. I gave it a rating of 5 out of 5 because of it's overall performance, ease of use, and 'fun factor' for the price. Even my 8 year old had no problems figuring this radio out the first time.
I've only had the radio for about a week, so I may be compelled to write another review after 6-12 months. This will give me a chance to try this radio on a couple camping trips and burn thru at least one set of batteries.
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SPENSAR
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 29, 2007 10:43
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Great price in Canada
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The Hudson's Bay company put this radio up for sale today at $49.00 CDN at their online site (hbc.com). I recently found this site and have benefited greatly from the reviews and comments and just wished to share it with readers that may be able interested. I have ordered one and will post comments when it is here.
Thanks.
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LRDHEAT
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Rating: 4/5
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Nov 6, 2006 20:54
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decent
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The DL (Deluxe) version is a better set than the 350 regular. Images rejection is still nonexistent, and dynamic range is not sufficient to elliminate overloading...my sample seems a bit better in this regard although I experienced some overloading in the 15 Mhz. band late in the afternoon. So far, I've been surprised to avoid overloading in the 6,7, @ 9 Mhz bands. RF and LP filter switch can help with overloading. Sensitivity is very good; the sensitivity below 4 Mhz of Band 1, 15 Mhz and above of band 2, and especially 23Mhz and above of band 3 seem to drop off, but the noise floor seems to lower as well which compensates. The 15+ Mhz dropoff is much less noticeable than the 23+ Mhz dropoff.
What makes the radio better than the regular 350 is the frequency lock that takes hold 3 seconds after the listener has stopped tuning. I really like analog tuning as opposed to pll digital tuning for bandscanning. The frequency lock works great! The radio will stay on frequency unattended. The 350 regular would drift 2-4 KHz within the first 5 or 10 minutes of being left alone. Another nice item is the dial lights up automatically while tuning is in progress. Nice for nighttime use.
The audio through the larger speaker (than the regular 350) is nice; headphone audio is nice as well.
Filters are chosen well...narrow does not sound as muffled as many while rejecting nearby signals pretty well; wide is better only when the signal is in the clear, and not fading in and out.
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CRAIGRADIO
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 12, 2006 12:09
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My friend
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned the S350 for 2.5 years, and it has been tried and true and used practically every day. It's biggest strengths are a large sound, a easy to use alarm function (it has become my permament portable alarm clock)a strong sensitivity to local stations, a nice backlight, a cool look, SW capabilities (though I have rarely used them), and an incredibly small drain on the 4 d batteries (they will last 1-2 months with daily sporadic use) Its carrying strap is also quite handy.
I recently purchased a grundig ovation system, and you can tell the difference between the solid "german" grundig models, and the Asian manufactured items, but the S350 is still an excellent radio, great sound, great functionality, and a downright lovable personality.
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AB7JK
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Rating: 2/5
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Sep 27, 2006 09:32
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Cheap Grundig
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned this radio over a year and have discovered a few new things about it besides the awful drift reported on earlier.
When I tried to use it with batteries it was DOA. Test yours to see if it's battery capable. Probably a bad solder joint in the radio.
The audio is not good - it lacks a crispness even with the bass turned down and the treble turned up. When you tune slightly off frequency to get crispier audio you get heterodyne squeals.
Lacks sensitivity - much fewer weak signals are heard than even cheaper shortwave radios such as the Kaito and Tecsun models.
Right now I only use this radio on AM and on shortwave stations below about 10 mhz. When I get sick of the audio I change to another radio.
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