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Reviews For: Anjan A-1004

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Anjan A-1004
Reviews: 1MSRP: 29.90
Description:
Tiny, inexpensive shortwave & AM/FM broadcast receiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0015
K7VO Rating: 2005-06-18
For the size and price this is hard to beat for casual SWLing Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought the Anjan A-1004 a few months back on eBay direct from China. I selected this radio because it was the smallest, lightest weight (4.6 oz) portable shortwave radio and alarm clock I could find to travel with. I have been very pleasantly surprised with how well it works.

The A-1004 is actually an analog receiver with a digital LCD frequency counter. This is certainly better than an old fashioned slide rule display as it allows me to quickly tune in precisely the frequency I want. Just don't be surprised to see and hear a little drift when you first turn it on.

The radio has the typical little telescopic antenna and this is fine for local FM broadcast reception and for the strongest of the shortwave broadcasters (i.e. BBC, Radio Moscow, etc...). It also comes with a clip-on wire antenna which I string across a hotel room when I travel. With this I can reliably pick up the next tier of shortwave stations, including my personal favorite, Kol Israel from Jerusalem.

The little buttons are all labeled in Chinese and despite the promise of a PDF manual in English none was ever forthcoming. A virus was the original excuse. It doesn't matter. The radio is easy to figure out and I had it all down in nothing flat.

The A-1004 is very well thought out. It has both a sleep timer and dual wake-up timer (alarm clock) functions. The LCD clock is only visible when the radio is turned off. When it's on it's a frequency display. A button for a bright backlight is on the front of the radio. The carry strap includes a little tab that inserts into the back of the radio to allow it to stand up firmly on an angle. Audio from the little built-in speaker is surprisingly good. A small leather travel/carry case is included.

The really pleasant surprise about this little radio is that it does, in fact, have a decent receiver. No, it's nowhere near as good as a full size radio and no, it doesn't receive SSB. For casual shortwave listening, though, it does a wonderful job. Since it's tiny I take it everywhere with me in my travels. Batteries last for months even with regular use. For an under $30 radio (under $40 with shipping from China) it really can't be beat.