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Reviews For: C. Crane CC-EP PRO

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : C. Crane CC-EP PRO
Reviews: 1MSRP: $100 USD
Description:
DSP tuned AM/FM/FM Stereo (at phones) Twin Coil ferrite antenna Lighted dial AUX/Line In 9/10kHz tuning step switch Int/Ext antenna switch
Product is in production
More Info: https://ccrane.com/ccradio-ep-pro-am-fm-portable-analog-dsp-twin-coil-antenna-inside/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0014
N0TLD Rating: 2022-02-11
Even better... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The original EP was received pretty well by the MW DXing crowd (very much including me), though it had some problems with overload and imaging. But some time later Crane could no longer procure some crucial component or other and had to redesign the innards pretty drastically. Now a DSP radio, it became the EP PRO.

After a number of respected reviews filled with some praise but also some constructive criticism of its shortcomings, Crane went to work addressing those issues... and I think the latest iteration of the EP PRO they've put together is a fine radio in the spirit of the kind of portables we used to enjoy in the '70s and '80s -- simple, easy to use, selective and sensitive with very good audio, at a decent price.

You can find detailed reviews at the usual places online, but for eHam I want to just state that if you are into MW DXing, it is a very nice receiver, and the Twin Coil antenna 'fine tune' feature can be of real help, though it seems to be somewhat misunderstood -- it's NOT a fine tune for frequency (which is DSP and in selectable 9 or 10kHz steps), but an adjustment for the ferrite antenna coils. It can make a big difference on some signals, and less of a difference on others, depending on skywave or groundwave and other factors. At night especially, I'll find a wide discrepancy in its effects, from no change at all to "can't-hear-it-otherwise." Getting used to it, I have begun to wish I had the same feature built into some of my older MW portables. I'd love to outfit a GE P780 or Superradio II or a Panasonic Command/RF series multiband with that twin coil feature. Again, it won't seem to do anything sometimes, but when it works, you'll know it.

It's also an excellent FM portable, with the crisp sound and sharp selectivity one has come to expect from modern DSP tuned FM radios. In fact, I have a stretch of strong FM signals in my neck of the woods I have long used for 'proving-ground' tests of my radios -- 97.1, 97.3, 97.5, 97.7 and 97.9 each have a moderate to strong signal here, and only a tiny handful of my receivers can really hear all of them, each captured clean and with full quieting, one right next to the other -- the Panasonic RF2600, the C.Crane CC2E, and now the EP PRO. In my book, the way things are in my locale, well, that's a hell of an accomplishment.

As well, Crane has supplied it with an AC adapter that doesn't add any hashy noise to the AM band. It's a nicely made little wall wart. I am going to purchase a few more separately, to use with other radios/audio gear. Clean as a whistle.

I truly enjoy/ed the original EP and at its price point I believed it was probably the best bang-for-your-buck MW DXer available new. Well now, the bottom line for me is, it's a worthy, easy to use and GOOD workin' hundred dollar radio that can actually be had for even less if you shop around (I got mine for a hair under $80 including shipping). Just make sure you know it's the version which has the switch on the back for the 9 or 10kHz tuning step for AM, and the little red tuning LED at the upper right of the dial. With those features, you'll know you have the most recent version... and the best of the run, by far.