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Reviews For: ETON E5 with SSB

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : ETON E5 with SSB
Reviews: 36MSRP: 169.95
Description:
The Etón E5 is the a world class portable radio covering AM, FM and shortwave. It features dual conversion AM/SW circuitry for exceptional sensitivity and image rejection. It offers S.S.B. - Single sideband reception. It has an amazing 700 channel memory capacity with memory scan and auto tuning storage. The 24 hour clock features alarm and sleep timer functions. Tuning is via auto-scan, manual scan, conventional tuning knob or direct keypad entry. FM stereo is supported to the mini earphone jack. The LCD display can be illuminated one of three ways. In Normal Mode pressing any button activates the display. While plugged into the AC outlet the Always-on mode illuminates the display whenever the radio is turned on. In Manual Mode the dial will light for 15 seconds when the light button is pressed. Other refinements include: Local/DX Switch, Wide-Narrow selectivity and external SW antenna jack.
The E5 operates from four AA cells (not supplied) or via the supplied AC wall adapter. The supplied AC adapter can also recharge NiMH AA cells (not supplied) while in the radio. (Do not attempt to recharge other types of AA cells). This radio also includes a multi-language Owner's Manual, wrist strap, protective case, wire antenna and ear buds. 6.675 x 4.125 x 1.125 inches 12.2 oz (168x105x29mm 346 g). One year limited warranty.

Product is in production
More Info: http://www.etoncorp.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00364
NR3G Rating: 2006-06-13
Not as good as hoped Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've owned the ETON E5 for 2 months now, and find it to be a very good AM/FM band receiver. My disappointment with it, however, stems from it's very poor HF sensitivity using just the internal whip antenna. I enjoy monitoring aeronautical HF SSB frequencies, and have unfortunately found that SSB signals heard on both my Kaito 1102 and 1103 receivers using their internal whip antennas cannot even be heard on the E5 using it's internal whip. The only way I can hear these signals using the E5 is by using a portable externally amplified antenna. If you're an SSB buff like me, then
I would think twice before purchasing this receiver.
TORONTOGUY Rating: 2006-05-17
A winner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is rapidly becoming my favorite portable. I have the venerable YB400PE as well and the E5 compares quite well to it.
The E5 can actually pull in some stations with more clarity than the YB400PE. The SSB is better than the YB (but that is a known shortcoming).
All in all, this is going to be a classic so get one!
KD6JBF Rating: 2006-04-21
Needs help... STAT!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received radio from Amazon on 4/17, and quickly returned unit on 4/18! Good points: nice size LCD viewing panel and backlight, good rechargeable circuit for batteries built-in, audio not bad for radio that size. BAD : subjectively, poor sensitivity compared to YB 400-PE(which I have and compared it to), annoying hum to use of AC adapter(although I believe this is inherent to adapater which Eton shipped, but one can request replacement), interference on weaker FM signals when hand is placed anywhere near the radio, and approx every 100Khz, while tuning radio, approach frequencies which sound like a carrier wave, and signal strength lights up, but no audio.. definitely internally-generated signals, but that was totally bothersome!!! Radio seemed flimsy to touch and feel, and certainly not worth the $150 paid for it!! I received the Sony ICF 7600GR yesterday, and after a little playing with the functions(had to work last night), that unit just "feels" more solid and the reception just blows the Eton E-5 out of the water!!!(leaving evidence of a radio implosion!!!!). Eton E-5... later!!!!!
K9HDT Rating: 2006-04-11
Nice Small Portible Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great radio with 700 memories. Very easy to use and pleasant sounding. Would be a 5 execpt for that adapter. It is very noisy. When you buy one, if it has the curved power supply, call Eton and have them send you a replacement. They know about the problem and are taking care of it. I am waiting on mine now. Good, friendly customer service.
LRDHEAT Rating: 2006-03-14
good portable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I agree with the previous review...the Eton 5 is very similar to the Kaito 1103 in size and performance. I agree also that sync would have been nice. The SONY 7600 has sync for about the same money. Although I would eventually like the opportunity to try an Eton 1, the Eton 5 retains the easy portability of sets such as the Kaito and SONY. The ETON 1 would be a bit much to walk around with.

The Eton 5 has similar sensitivity as the Kaito.
Audio has a little more umph than the Kaito. Clock is displayed simultaneously with frequency. Volume +/- buttons instead of the circuitous methodology required on the Kaito. The 7 buttons below the display can jump the operator to the last frequency tuned in each of the 7 most used sw bands. The meter band button on the lower right does the same thru all of the sw bands excepting ham bands. Memory consists of 100 pages of 7 sites per page. This makes it convenient to put 7 frequencies for a country on 1 page, or, say, 7 time frequencies, or 7 aviation weather frequencies on a page.I like the tradeoff in audio quality vs ellimination of adjacent station interference that the choice of wide/narrow offers. Choice of lit display when button pushed, continuous on, or manually on/off. SSB works easily on stations transmitting on SSB. And, although the clarifier is analog, zero beating an am shortwave station can offer yet another option in obtaining readable copy on a station. No USB/LSB, but both are easily tuned with the SSB option. I find that for tuning while walking around, the 5khz up/down button is much less demanding concentrationwise than using the tuning knob or direct entry required on the Kaito 1103. As with Kaito, no boot up time, and no noise/chuffing while bandscanning with knob or slew buttons.

The E 5 does not suffer from local am/fm station intrusion. Does not overload when an Eton 10 or 100 would (those sets could often control overload with attenuation switch (i.e. some loss in sensitivity); Degen 1105 am/fm intrusion was handled by touching the antenna with finger with only a little loss of sensitivity. I remember having intrusion on the 17 MHz region of a Grundig 400...don't know if touching the antenna would take care of that intrusion, or do it with little loss of sensitivity).

This is going to be my portable flagship set
WEATHERALL Rating: 2006-02-23
Strong radio with nice controls; pricy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'll do a quick side-by-side comparison of the Eton E5 and my Sony ICF SW7600GR (which is my best receiver). The preferred radio for each situation is listed. This is a quick-and-dirty comparison after only several hours of Eton E5 usage.

reception: i haven't done close enough comparisons yet
direct frequency entry: E5! (just punch the digits, then punch the band button: am, fm)
frequency scanning: E5 (faster, continuous instead of confined to the current band)
speaker/audio: E5 (the SW7600GR doesn't sound as sharp because of its filters)
listening to fading signals: SW7600GR (includes sync detect)
lcd display: E5. more informative, nicer backlight too
ssb: equivalent, although the SW7600GR can switch between LSB and USB
memory system: E5 (alphanumeric labeling of pages)
battery life: pretty sure batteries last longer in the SW7600GR
volume control: i prefer the SW7600GR's volume dial over the E5's volume buttons

The Eton E5 is manufactured by Degen and was originally named the Degen 1106. Some view the E5 as a slightly updated Kaito/Degen 1103, which costs around $80 (for the USA version) while the Eton E5 costs around $150. So you should decide between the Kaito 1103 and the Eton E5, and decide if the updated user interface is worth the extra cost.

My rating of 4/5 is based on the cost and features: a radio in this price range should come with sync detect to combat fading analog signals.

weatherall