Home > Consumer Reviews > Grundig M100 Portable Radio

The Grundig Mini has to be about as small and cheap as worldband radio gets, so I didn't expect much. The little radio delivers pretty well, though. Reception on all bands is better than I would have expected from such a small analog portable. I would put it roughly on par with the Sangean SG 622 (about the same price here on Amazon), yet the Grundig is small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

Sound from the radio's internal speaker is plenty loud, but thin. Given that the speaker is little more than an inch across, that's understandable. It's fine for news and spoken word though, and the included earphones improve things greatly. Use them on any band, and the sound is better, and on FM you can listen in stereo.

The Mini 100's small size is its greatest attribute, and also behind its only real drawback. The tuning dial and controls are TINY. My middle-aged eyes require that I go for the reading glasses to see the dial markings, and your thumbs best not be very big in order to use the thumbwheel volume and tuning controls.

The radio is simple to operate, so the instructions are equally simple to understand. Grundig has also thoughtfully included a brief pamphlet that contains information on shortwave fundamentals and a directory of some of the major shortwave stations. (Voice of America, BBC, Radio Havana, et.al.) A belt clip, and even the batteries, are included.

For the casual shortwave listener, or as a travelling companion, the Mini 100 PE is a good choice.

Despite all the talk about satellite and Internet radio, I had been hunting around for a small shortwave that could also handle FM stereo and was happy to come upon the Grundig 100 Mini PE Portable Radio.

The 100 is the smallest world band receiver I've come across, similar in size to Sony's Walkman-style radios. This is an analog, dial-driven set that can use either a built-in (mono) speaker or stereo headphones. It features six shortwave bands (49, 41, 31, 25, 19, 15 meter bands) plus AM and FM Stereo. The 100 has a telescoping antenna and is very compact, measuring only 4" x 2 1/2" x 3/4" in size. My set included earbud style earphones, a vinyl carry pouch, two AA batteries, a four page manual, and Grundig's shortwave listening guide booklet.

Performance is an issue with this radio. Reception is reasonable for a receiver of this size, with many strong signals being heard at night, such as Radio France and Radio Havana Cuba. However, the 100 has no SSB or adjustable filters, even Am and FM can be spotty, and it is certainly no competition for a serious world band receiver such as the Grundig Yacht Boy 400.

I recommend the 100 if you need a radio while travelling or commuting, or as a gift to introduce someone to world band.

I supposed location is everything. Up here in Alaska, I found this radio to be rather limiting if not almost useless. Reception proves to be very weak, tuning isn't the most exact science here and quality of this radio wasn't very high. I brought this radio from REI and within a year, the speaker cover fell off (they were just glued in) and my tuner dial fell apart. Needless to say, this wasn't Grundig's finest effort.

I did get good AM/PM reception within the city limits but I can do that with almost any radio. SW modes were limited, even on a clear nights, on top of a mountain. Its a weak radio, probably good in a very civilized part of the world but worthless out where you really need it. Small size is nice but why carry a radio around if you can't pick up anything once the city lights are no longer in sight??

This was my very first shortwave radio, and I'm glad it was, because it triggered an excitement and a love of shortwave in me that has now taken me through two more Grundig models, as I now feel confident in "stepping up" my SW investment.

Pros: The size and feel of the unit is without pair. Even my Grundig G1000A, which is only slightly bigger, doesn't have the same pleasing compactness in your palm. The look of the unit is pleasing, and you can tell it is well made. The small size of the speaker belies its surprising power, and with headphones, the stereo sound is stunning. If you're expecting pocket-radio sound in this unit, you'll be pleasantly taken aback! Reception and sensitivity are quite good, and most of the biggie SW stations can be brought in with ease. The portability to quality ratio is truly the selling point of this model. It's small enough to fit into a shirt pocket, yet the dials, display, and speaker are all very adequately sized and conveniently placed!

Cons: Far fewer of these than pros. For starters, the only thing I find truly lacking here is that there's no digital tuning (the G1000A has spoiled me), but with practice, you shouldn't miss it too much. Plus, it's kind of fun searching for that elusive station, if you're in the right mood for the old timey radio feel. Second, and not surprising at all, it won't wow you with it's power or pulling in of distant, weak stations. This is a very inexpensive radio, worth every penny in my book, but if your primary concern is the shortwave band, I'd recommend a different unit. Don't get me wrong, because this IS a great shortwave model, but in the end, its the versatility of the AM, FM, and SW together, with just average performance in each category, that makes it so a charming radio that so many folks will love.

Though this radio rates above average in all areas, I recommend it most strongly for those of you who have never owned a shortwave radio. This is a fantastic model for getting acquainted with SW. The antenna is good, the tuning, size, and layout make it intuitive and fun, and best of all, a small shortwave guidebook/directory is included, compliments of Grundig. If you're new to shortwave, you CANNOT GO WRONG with the Mini 100 PE. If you're a seasoned vet, this will be a very nice backup SW, FM, and AM pocket radio for you when you're on the go. The bottom line? Wherever you are in your shortwave journey, you can't lose with this one. Go for it!

We took this radio to Spain, and it was not only great-sounding with headphones and through the speaker, but it picked up lots of SW stations, including the BBC World Service both day and night, crystal clear even through the speaker. For so little money, how could one go wrong? When you're in a place where English language broadcasts are hard to find, this radio gets them for you. Plus the FM has great stereo separation, and the AM (especially in Europe where the AM sound is often of high quality) is nearly as good sounding as the FM. Even the shortwave sounds very good and clear (better sound than as my Sony ICF7600 if not quite as sensitive). Another advantage is that the analog dial will get the European / Asian / African AM stations correctly that an American digital radio won't get usually, because of the 9KHz spacing in the Eastern Hemisphere vs. 10kHz in the Western Hemisphere. The same problem is avoided with FM where in the Western Hemisphere all FM stations are odd decimals (97.1 MHz, 103.9 MHz, etc), while in the Eastern Hemisphere, FM Stations are both odd and even (97.0 MHz, 103.8 MHz). This was the most useful thing, other than my camera and ATM card, that I brought to Europe.