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write your own review of the Sangean ATS 818 / Realistic DX 390.
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G7NTG
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 14, 2011 12:51
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good value for money!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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l bought a DX390 new about 16 years ago and it has performed very well ever since. l must say that l have always used an antenna tuner when using an external antenna so l have avoided the static problems. l removed the telescopic antenna and fitted a bnc socket and use either a bnc telescopic or my dipole for 80 metres.
l have had QSO's using it with a telescopic with a QRP homebrew transmitter.l always liked this set!
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BXLISTENER
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 22, 2011 10:17
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Good allrounder
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I owned a Sangean ATS818 ACS for about 8 years and it was a good all round broadcast receiver. I used it almost daily and in the end the timer became faulty but the radio still worked fine. The tuning knob would chuff when band scanning and this was the only flaw that really bugged me. For general non-DX listening it was really good. It is a simple radio to use and I really miss it now that I no longer have it. I'm sad that it is no longer in production.
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WA2DZO
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 29, 2010 15:33
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The Digital part is best
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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When I got mine Digital tuner radios were becoming more affordable. Analog radios were just as or slightly more sensitive. Always used an unbalanced antenna with an grounded isolation transformer or a pre-amp so it sill works like the day I bought it. I live in the North East and get Radio Australia in the Morning on the built in antenna! With its length of service and flexibility I can't complain. Audio is is communication quality, not wide enough for my music tastes. I like it enough to not need a replacement but I have ham rigs with overleaping capabilities.
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KD7RDZI2
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Rating: 2/5
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Dec 22, 2010 17:43
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yes, the MRF102!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought this big portable in 1994. It lasted something like 6 months. Using it with an indoor wire antenna it suddenly become insensitive, probably it lost 40db. I waited something like one year and many callphones and meetings to get a replacement. Now it is clear that is a common problem so a better design at the front-end would have solved the problem. At that time I did not know anything about electronics so I did not adventured in repairing a product under warranty. Otherwise this radio would deserve a 4/5, sensitive, good albeit a bit muffled audio and prone to be overloaded.
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N7JBH
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 2, 2010 09:40
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Big but functional
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Time owned: months
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I picked up two of these on Ebay for about $30 each. Both had no receive, the first one was an easy fix, Q1 replacement, the second still doesn't play even after replacing Q1 (MRF102)and will need further troubleshooting. I use the good one with my 40 meter 1 watt Vectronics QRP CW transmitter kit at work! Made lots of QSO's using a random length end fed long wire run between two HVAC units on the roof, no tuner. Must be the good counterpoise (all the metal ducting) in the building. As a "beater" radio it's fine, it also serves as a frequency counter for my old tube "boatanchor" rigs.
73
N7JBH
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KC2DIS
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 19, 2010 18:37
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a great choice used
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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First off BE CAREFULL with static around this thing. I bought one off of ebay that I payed 50$ for that the guy said was in great working shape only to find it deaf on sw. I replaced Q! with an MF102 and was back in business! Now it is a great radio! Much better than the dx 160. I find it sensitive with a length of wire I have pinned up indoors. The only reason I gave it a 4 was becasue the audio is muted when scanning and the light stays on for a very short time and the keypad is not illuminated making it hard to see in the dark. There are mods for these problems though. If you can find a deaf one cheaply scarf it up and swap out q1 with an mpf102 for 1.59 and youve got yourself a great radio. Keep a supply on hand though should it get fried again! Happy DXing !
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PINESTUMPSAVAGE
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Rating: 2/5
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Jan 2, 2010 07:05
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Nice Radio, Poor Sensitivity
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This radio offered a lot to me when I still used it years ago excepting for one thing; sensitivity on any band.
Everything about this radio was good; the build, sound, features, etc. But the sensitivity on any band was sub-par. I replaced the Sangean with a Yachtboy 400 and have never used the Sangean again.
In all fairness, I may have gotten a dud. Everything was good on the radio except reception; wait a minute, thats why we buy them right? :)
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KC8MZW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 24, 2009 10:12
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5/5
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This is a 125 buck radio that I bought at Radio Shack some 10 years ago. Great audio on FM and SW. It runs off from D-cell batteries and that is a real plus for long run times. It is not a Icom R-71-A or even a Yaesu FRG-7. But for a portable that gives you SSB via a BFO you just can't go wrong. It just works and gives you plenty of "bang for the buck". I only wish that I had this fine a portable radio when I was in Europe many years ago. I have a Icom 756 Pro-2 and also a Grundig YB-400. This is the receiver that you want.
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ICHY7
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Rating: 3/5
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Dec 21, 2008 19:44
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Not enough radio for the money
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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FISHERMAN
I purchased my first ATS818 back in the 80's, but it was a dud right off the git go. I could pick up some AM signals and FM signals, but the SW was not there at all. Very few stations came in at all on SW. Add to that the problem of the display. It was so bad that you could only see it when you looked at the radio at an odd angle. If you looked at it straight on it was so faint that it was almost undistinguishable. I finally put it up on the shelf and chalked it up as a loss. But then last year I got the bug again for DX'ing so I recovered the radio and began to play with it again. That's when I remembered all the problems. Needless to say it hadn't gotten any better. I finally wrote the Sangean Co. and they told me to send it in. Well, after about about 6 weeks with NO word back, I finally called the Co. and they said they hadn't seen it yet. OK, so I waited another three weeks before I got hold of their one and only repair man and he finally located it. The bad news was that he said it was unrepairable, too old. Does that make sense? They offered to sell me another one for $74. I decided that it might be worth it so bought it. OK, it finally came and it looked exactly like the one I had sent in, except for the color and having an added cassette recorder/player. It works a little better. AM/FM are good, but the SW leaves something to be desired. I even hooked it up to my external antenna W/O a lot of difference. So, where does the "too old" to fix part fit in? Guess I'll never know now. I have since purchased my first FRG-7 and what a difference. It's old, but so much better. Back on the shelf for the ol' Sangaen. It's good for AM/FM and some local SW, but save your money and buy something a bit more reliable.
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W2WHT
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 28, 2007 14:57
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decent for the money
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had my 818 since they came out, so far back I cannot remember but at least 15 years. It is as others have mentioned, a decent radio.
Now I am a licensed ham and basically use this radio for FM/AM. Very occasionally I use it for SW. If you are interested in listening to local and worldwide broadcasting this radio will do the job. If you are a dx station hunter, then you will need to find something a bit more sophisticated. Still, I am pleased I still have this radio. The SSB is poor, and overloads at the drop of a hat. I do not use a wire antenna, so I have not had any issues with the static as others have. I do use a preamplified SW antenna that simply plugs in (another RS product) and it enhances the reception a bit. It is somewhat big, and a bit heavy for travel. There are quite a few other portables that are more suitable for being packed into your suitcase.
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