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Reviews For: GE Superadio III

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : GE Superadio III
Reviews: 24MSRP: 44.99
Description:
High Performance AM/FM Portable Radio
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.home-electronics.net/Products/ViewDetail/0,7333,SI5-CNUS-LNUE-LI25-CI100827-PI100022-PGMTAwMDAw-LC-PC100814,00.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00244.1
N2MDV Rating: 2020-07-17
Good for $50.00, but not great. Still fun. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Looking at the GE Super Radio series for years, I've always wanted one since the late 70's. So, about 1997, a friend of mine had one, (The SR III.), at a hamfest for like $40-some, and I bought it. It did indeed receive some nice FM and AM DX, (FM from +100 miles, and AM stations from even further in the daytime.) The selectivity on FM wasn't on par with what I thought it should be, so I did the Bruce Elving FM Narrow Band modification of replacing the 200kHz IF filter with a 110kHz one. Unfortunately, that threw off the varactor diode tuning on the FM section on the radio. I did a 1/2-ass alignment myself, but it wasn't until years later that that I was able to find the correct procedure to do so here, http://earmark.net/gesr/sr3.htm Definitely better on both FM and AM. Be aware that AM Wide Mode really reduces AM sensitivity and selectivity. However, if you do have a decent AM station that does music, instead of talk, almost an FM quality to it. Be aware also that this radio is subject to IMD from very strong signal overload, but then again, at a $50.00 NIB price range, you'd kind of have to expect that.
KG8LB Rating: 2015-01-18
A worthy radio indeed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had one of these running 24 hours a day , seven days a week for over 20 years now . It has been used for receiving local AM broadcast and re-transmitting into our shop on an FM transmitter . Not once in that time have I had to re-tune or perform any maintenance . I have three others as well as the original Superadio and Superadio II .

Probably not the same level of quality as the earlier versions but the performance is excellent , the audio is hard for any other AM portable to beat . The dual bandwidth settings allow for fine extended fidelity when conditions allow . Once that is understood there should be no real complaints about the "wide" setting .

This radio is varactor tuned and the dial calibration is poor but with a little experience you can manage . Dial inaccuracies are nothing new to radios of this type .
Runs on D cells or AC mains . The D batteries seem to last forever !

All in all , a top AM performer for the low price . My Superadio collection is here to stay .
KA2SHU Rating: 2014-06-01
(2) Bad Samples Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The latest Super radios badged RCA Super Radio arrived at my door with lots of anticipation. Boy was I in for a major let down.
The GOOD:
good sounding audio with nice speakers
This is where it mostly ends.
The BAD:
The radio's dial calibration was really off on BOTH AM & FM.
3MHz. on FM High
at least 250 KHs. high on AM
The sensitivity on AM was decent below 1000KHs. As you approached 1700KHz. it fell off badly.
When the bandwidth switch was set to wide, the radio become broad as a barn door and was almost useless.
FM on my radio faired no better. It was especially difficult to tune in very strong stations. The AFC helped somewhat but clean reception was really quite difficult. The FM dial was loaded with lots of cross mod mush.
I'm not sure this radio is worth the postage to even send it back to the seller. A major disappointment.
KC8FSO Rating: 2013-03-06
RCA SUPER RADIO III Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
fantastistic RADIO for AM- FM ! Best Receiver I have had !! Live in the U P of Michigan. Radio stations are far and few between. But THis RCA SUPER RADIO out preforms radio's I have paid double for !1 But then those HAD SW which the RCA SUPER DOESOT !! But The RCA SUPER BLOWS them away on AM and is great on FM also !
K8JHR Rating: 2012-07-10
Worked Swell Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A lot of radio for the money. Good speaker-good audio out - quite sensitive receiver - lived up to its reputation. Some users report issues of drift, sensitivity, or poor alignment, but mine worked just fine. i also had a GE Super Radio I and Super Radio II - both of which were good radios. I kept a Kenwood R-2000 and sold the GEs to collectors who would have time to actually use them. I only sold it to raise money for my ham station. Therefore, no issues, no complaints, and good reception with good audio. Cannot ask for more, really.

Just MY take, anyway... / K8JHR /
KC2YXU Rating: 2011-07-27
Good Sound Quality and Very Selective Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked up one of these radios at Goodwill for $7. It was dusty but after I cleaned it up it looked and worked great! It is very selective on th AM BC band and it sounds almost as good on Am as it does on FM. It also is very sensitive on FM. I was able to pick up many stations from Toronto, about 65 miles from where I live. All in all this is a very good radio even for $50.
KI7F Rating: 2010-03-20
Good AM Radio For AM BCB DX'ing And Good Audio Quality! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my GE Superadio III now for almost 20 years and even though it does not offer digital frequency readout or an S-meter, I am still impressed by the receive selectivity that it offers on AM. The 4 tuned IF stages really helps! The audio is very nice on AM (Esp when listening to the radio through my pro quality Sony studio monitor stereo headsets for late night listening.) To enhance the reception, I also use an external passive inductive coupled tunable AM loop antenna with it called the Select-A-Tenna.

The sensitivity on AM appears to be even better than my Grundig Satellit 800 general coverage receiver. (A repackaged Drake R8 receiver)

By the way, I placed a strip of masking tape on the front above the main tuning analog tuning dial and made my own calibrated frequency tuning dial which really helps.

To those not familiar with the radio, it may not look too impressive compared to newer digital tuned radios or some of the new multiband SW portable radios. It is obviously not going to fit inside your shirt pocket like an Ipod as it is kind of big for being a portable! It looks like a typical cheap AM/FM table top portable radio that you might typically find in a dime store. (I bought mine at a K-Mart store in Torrance, California back in the early 1990's.But, don't let the looks fool you. For the money, it is an excellent performer.

For SWL activity, I would of course prefer digital tuning, but, using analog tuning on the domestic AM BCB band is no big deal for me.

I live in an apartment, so there always will be RFI and QRN on the radio during different parts of the day, due to neighbors that use computers, TV's and anything else that causes interference to AM radio reception. Whenever I do any AM band DX'ing or listen to the Hf amateur radio bands, I have to turn off my main desk top computer or else the RFI hash from the computer dual core CPU wipes out much of the AM band, on the other hand, my smaller lap computer does not cause any RFI issues at all.
W2DDG Rating: 2009-09-17
Very good little machine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 of these radios and have had them about 10 years ( I purchased them new). They are great at AM MW signals and very directional. They sound great and can really dig out the MW DX if you are so inclined. FM reception is pretty good, but isn't stereo. The batteries, 8 "D" cells, last for a loooong time. I listen to one in my work out room for about 1 1/2 hours a day and last changed out the batteries a couple ( maybe 3?) years ago. I have one in the shack also and I use it maybe once or twice a week and I can't remember when I last replaced them. As for the calibration, I just taped paper above the scale and marked off the frequencies. It isn't all that difficult. This is actually a great radio for the cost. Built like a tank. Regards, Larry, now W2DDG
N5IVZ Rating: 2009-02-07
An AM Gem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Found one in an antique store with paint all over it... Slide rule dial in good shape...cleaned it up and its working great!

WB9YCJ Rating: 2009-02-06
Just O.K. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Non linear slide rule tuning scale (dial)...
What does that mean? In other words, 0ne slight turn of the tuning knob on the upper end of the Medium Wave band may cause the receiver to tune past 50 Khz (5 stations). While the same slight touch of the knob on the lower end of medium wave would cause perhaps 5 khz of change (more appropriate).

Medium wave I.F. response is to wide in the wide position - good for local non DX. And, strange in the narrow setting.

Otherwise a sensitive portable with very good audio. If you can get one at a garage sale for under $20 - go for it.