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Reviews For: TECSUN BCL-2000

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Review Summary For : TECSUN BCL-2000
Reviews: 5MSRP: 99.99
Description:
TECSUN BCL-2000 (Released in America as Grundig S350)
Analog tuned Shortwave radio, with digital readout. NEW in 2003! Made in China. Receives AM/FM/SW -
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.tecsun.com.cn/english/product/bcl2000/mainbcl2000-1.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0054
KF9Z Rating: 2006-03-10
Cheap? Indeed...but very good! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
How can you knock this radio? Who pays $100 for it? I bought mine on eBay new for $59 and $15 to ship. That makes it 25% less than the other reviewer. For $75 delivered it is a fantastic radio. It has some of the best RX audio I have heard on any portable. It does drift a little on SW but once it warms up >1hr or so it is spot on. I can honestly say for the price this is a fantastic radio. The RX audio alone is worth $75 shipped to your door. It is a nice but somewhat wide receiver on SW but what do you expect for only $75? There are trade-offs and again...the RX audio is outstanding for the price. If you do casual listening like I do while camping or in the garage or BBQ'ing this is a great knock-around radio with EXCELLENT RX AUDIO! Is it perfect? Surely not...is it excellent for the price? You bet. If you expect solid performance for this price-point you and outstanding RX audio you will not be unhappy. If you go in expecting Sony IFC-2010 performance you will be disappointed.
RADIOHIGHFREQUENCY Rating: 2004-09-15
Super Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Tecsun BCL-2000 'Broad Cast Listeners Radio for AM, FM, and International Shortwave Broadcast Listening. Basically a GE Superadio designed for BCL with the Shortwave Bands Added and Expanded Features. Therefore Knowing what the Tecsun BCL-2000 is and judge the Tecsun BCL-2000 accordingly: IMHO, I would 'rate' the Tecsun BCL-2000 as a Big 5.0 on eHam for what it is designed to do for the customer it is intended to satisfy. The Tecsun BCL-2000 is a Volks-DX-Radio for the average Broad Cast Listener who would enjoy the GE Superadios and the CCRadios; with the Option to Listen to the Shortwave Bands.

Having both the GE Superadio III (Analog Varactor Tuning) and the CC*Radio+Plus (Digital PLL Tuning). The Tecsun (Super Radio) BCL-2000 has Digital LCD Display and True Analog Variable Capacitor Tuning. All three radios are single conversion. The Tecsun BCL-2000 has the right features that are a mix and a match between the the GE Superadio III and the CC*Radio+Plus. Plus the Tecsun BCL-2000's Price Point of about $75 is just about right for a radio tha fits a 'niche' between the GE Superadio III ($40) and the CC*Radio+Plus ($160).

WHAT - IT - IS !

* Standard Tecsun BCL-2000 Features:
+ AM Band (Separate AM Tuner)
+ Hi-Sensitivity
+ FM Band & AFC (Separate FM Tuner)
+ Two Tuning Speeds: Normal & Fine
+ Quality Sound
+ 192mm/7.5" AM/MW Ferrite Rod Antenna
+ Wide & Narrow AM Band Width Filters
+ Digital Frequency Display
+ Clock & Alarm & Sleep Timer
+ External AM & FM Antenna Inputs
+ RF Gain Control
+ Styling: New Retro-Mil-Aero-Look
= = = AC & DC Operation
= = = Medium Price US$75
- NO Memories
# Extra Features:
Normal Broadcast SW Listening (AM Mode)
Low Pass Filter?


Comparable Radios Designed for BCLs:

* GE Superadio III
+ AM Band
+ Hi-Sensitivity
+ FM Band & AFC
+ Quality Sound
+ Two Speakers & Cross Over Network
+ Low Price ~US$60
+ Single Conversion
+ 200mm/8" AM/MW Ferrite Rod Antenna
+ Wide & Narrow AM Band Width Filters
+ External AM & FM Antenna Inputs
= = = AC & DC Operation
- One Tuning Speed
- Analog Dial / Varactor Tuning
- NO Memories
- NO Clock & Alarm & Sleep Timer
- NO RF Gain Control
- Styling: Old Analog Radio Look
# Extra Features: NONE

* CC*RadioPlus+
+ AM Band
+ Hi-Sensitivity
+ FM Band & AFC
+ Tuning Know & Up Down Buttons
+ Human Voice Sound Quality
+ Single Conversion
+ 200mm/8" AM/MW Ferrite Rod Antenna
+ Digital Frequency Display
+ Memories: AM=5 & FM=5 TV=5 WB=5
+ Clock & Alarm & Sleep Timer
= = = AC & DC Operation
+ External FM Antenna Input
- External AM Antenna Input
- One Tuning Speed
- Wide AM Band Width Filter (Only)
- NO RF Gain Control
- High Price US$160
- Styling: Common Modern Digital Look
# Extra Features:
TV Channels 2-13
WX Band


WHAT - IT - IS - NOT !
The Tecsun BCL-2000 is NOT designed to be is a 'Shortwave Radio' with AM & FM Bands thrown in for those times when you are not listening to Shortwave Broadcasts or to the Ham's on SSB or CW.
* Sangean ATS-505P
* Grundig Yacht Boy 300PE
* Sony ICF-7600GR
* Grundig Yacht Boy 400PE
* Sangean ATS-909


THE BOTTOM LINE: The Tecsun BCL-2000 "Fits-In-A-Niche" between the GE Superadio III and the CC*RadioPlus+ in Features and Price. It Is a Broadcast Listeners Radio: Nothing More and Nothing Less. The Tecsun BCL-2000 may be what everyone was 'hoping' a GE-Superadio-IV was going to be. Tecsun GEM China may have got the jump on GE-Thomson CE (FR). Possibly the Next Generation of SUPER RADIO a "Volks-DX-Radio" for the Average BCL who enjoys DXing. BottomLine: Clearly the Grundig S350 is the "Best Value for the Money".


~ RHF
-o/m- Tecsun BCL-2000 "Super radio" eGroup at YAHOO ! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Grundig-S-350/

.
WPE9JRL Rating: 2004-06-21
Fun Band Cruiser - With Limitations Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought my BCL-2000 with 110-Volt to 220-Volt adapter shipped to my door thru an eBay seller for $78.00. Serial tag shows a manufacture date of early 2004. Manual is entirely in Chinese, it will go into a file along with all of the other radio manuals in English - that I never read!

What the radio IS NOT: It is not a communications-grade receiver, it is not a "high-end" radio. Do not compare this radio to anything Panasonic, Sony, Drake, etc. The radio does not cover the entire expanded AM Band, it stops a 1630 KHz. It does not have a BFO (others, stop complaining about this...it is a cheap radio!). It is not a perfect radio by any means.

What the radio IS: It is pure fun to operate. It has beautiful tone and sound for a single 4-inch speaker/driver. It absolutely shines on FM reception. It does have some weak but annoying birdies at the bottom end of the MW Broadcast Band (a real bummer but you can live with it).
It is abolutely fun to sit and tune in the world
easily while just using the built-in whip, sitting on my patio. It is a fun, cheap radio.
It compares favorably to my GE SuperRadio II on MW, a surprise.

Keywords on the BCL-2000 are printed right on the front panel of the radio below the model number, it reads: ENJOY BROADCASTING. This radio will allow you to enjoy it as long as one does not demand the performance of a set costing multiples of the price of the BCL-2000. It is an amazing little radio for the money and I am totally pleased with its performance. I anticipate hours of casual listening with the set.
VR2XMQ Rating: 2004-05-01
It Sucks! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is not an expensive portable, and it has attempted to mimic the ever popular Panasonc RF-2200 but does not come anywhere clsoe. It sucks. The performance in mediocre, the only thing going for it is the FM band where it does perform. SW is poor, MW is dreadful. The timer is a real drag, and the tuning is super flimsy. It only looks good. No BFO which is really stupid considering.

Cannot compare against the Sony 5800W, 5900W, 6000L, Panasonic RF-1150, 2200, 2600 etc.

This is the worst portable for a long time!
OLDSEAROCK Rating: 2004-03-22
A no brainer! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This isn't a $300 radio.

I bought this radio new off ebay for less than $75, shipping included. The unit is much nicer than I had expected!

Reception is excellent and the sound is better than my Icom R-75 before I added a Radio Shack speaker.

The reason I bought this radio was for my garage. My Realistic DX 440 has just about bit the dust (after nearly 20 years of excellent service) and after reading several reviews I decided to give this radio a try.

Now, I'm the guy who tunes into one station and leaves it there. I can see where some folks might hate the tuning knob/lack of "search or scan" features - but to me, I don't need them.

There are no scan features nor keypads on this radio. It's a tuning knob or nothing. As someone who was raised on an old tube-type Hallicrafters set, this is not a problem.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, well made radio with great sound and good reception then this is your ticket.