Home > Consumer Reviews > Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium Shortwave Radio

This is a very good shortwave receiver but somewhat difficult to review since it may be viewed differently depending on the user--where they live, primary usage, etc. If you're really only interested in AM or FM, I'd consider it way too expensive. FM reception is incredible but it's not stereo--it's mono unless you plug in stereo headphones. It's not particularly good for pulling in distant AM signals--without any external antenna, my GE Superadio pulls them in just as well (although not any better). However, I bought it primarily for shortwave and it just flat out shines compared to the portables I've used.

It is designed to use either the supplied whip antenna or may be hooked to external antennas. I have only used the whip so I cannot comment on external antennas. The reception out of the box with the whip is the best I've encountered and I live in the shortwave challenged American West. (Unlike Eastern USA, we have trouble pulling all but the most robust signals in the West.) Weak signal sensitivity is excellent. The synchronous selectable sideband (which I've not had before and now I wouldn't waste money on a radio without it), adjustable bandwidth, AGC, and bass/treble controls really allow you to "clean up" the signals and the large speaker and included headphones provide very good audio--it's not nearly as tiring to listen to as those tiny shortwave portables. (Ditto on AM.) Also, I should note that I live in a framed wood house--shortwave is tougher to pick up in brick or metal buildings.

The air band and SSB both work well but I haven't listened to them much since my interest is primarily AM/FM/Shortwave. However, if you're interested in airport traffic or hams, it performs very well.

The controls work very well--ergonomically correct and easy to use even with my big hands and fingers. Solid craftsmanship and workmanship on my unit--no slopping fittings or loose knobs.

Some drawbacks: it's more a tabletop than a portable. (Think two shoeboxes end-to-end, filled with rocks--that's the size and weight.) I don't like the "outboard" transformer brick that runs the AC power--would have preferred it built into the radio. And it does not have "station seek" or scanning feature which even the cheapest portables have and are particularily useful for shortwave. (It will scan the settings put into the memory--memory holds 70 settings.) These are relatively minor quibbles--all in all, it is an excellent radio.

One final note: I was somewhat reluctant to order from Amazon because I was worried they wouldn't package it well for shipping. (In the past, I've had some articles arrive without adequate packing.) Not a problem--the radio retail carton was enclosed in heavy corrugated shipping carton wrapped with plastic bands and that whole package was enclosed in another shipping carton with plenty of "air pillows" all the way around. Everything arrived in excellent condition.

When I first obtained this radio I was skeptical based on its shakey start (the first batch of units had problems). I am a fussy customer and I have a fascination with portable high quality radios. I also own a Satelitt 700. The sound on the 800 is a little fuller than the 700. The 800 is huge, and heavy, and not, truly portable. The manual tuner can be used without muting the amplifier which is very helpful on SW. The FM tuner pull in stations from out of my market area and sounds great for a radio. The volume can be turned up almost all of the way without distorting the speaker. The FM sound stacks up with any other radio I own, including two Panasonics with huge 6 1/2" speakers.
The tuner is very easy to program and use. Stations are just a push of a button away. Although this radio is manufactured in China, it is of very high build quality. Remember when transistor radios were first built in Japan and we-all questioned that? Well, the Chinese are building good stuff!

I truly enjoy listening to this radio.

The Grundig Satellit 800 combines top-notch performance with ease of use, and a price that can't be beat. A superb performer on shortwave, this radio will allow you to listen to all of the major shortwave stations, and also bring in many of the smaller, lower-powered, and harder-to-hear stations. This unit has superb audio, good sensitivity, and mulitple selectivity settings. Another plus is that the radio is easy for beginners to figure out, yet has enough features (memory presets, timers, scanning functions) for fussy listeners like me. Nice big digital display and controls, too.

Though nominally a portable, it's one big, butch radio: as big as a microwave oven and absolutely eats batteries. You'll want a permanent place in your home for it, and mostly run it off A/C power.

If you live anywhere other than the eastern part of North America or Europe, you will need to put up an external antenna. It's well worth it, though; with a proper antenna this radio will bring you the world.

The FM tuner is very good; mediumwave AM performance is also better than average, although there are other models you should consider if long-distance AM is your primary interest. Airband reception is only fair; I don't know why it's a feature of this radio.

The Sat 800 did have some quality control problems in the beginning (2000) those seem to be resolved now. For this price, you will not find a better performer on shortwave.

If you spend any time at all tuning the shortwave bands, this is your radio.

I have had several sw receivers over the years - currently have a Sony ICF-SW2010, Sony ICF-SW77, and this Grundig (second genereation). Side by side, the Grundig outperforms the two Sony radios by far. Tuning to Radio Serbia-Montenegro, the 2010 can barely pull it in even with an indoor antenna attached to it; the Grundig pulls it in clearly with just the whip. I was amazed. The added features on this recveiver greatly assist in locking down hard to hear signals and between the three, the Grundig is the easiest to operate.

I'm in the south (Alabama - no wisecracks!!) and have no problems pulling in BBC's European frequencies during the day (such as Europe today broadcast @16:00 UTC) and can get a decent signal from Croatian Radio at night. The big powerhouse stations (Deutsche Welle, R. Nederland) are easy targets, and instead of losing R. Australia around 14:00 UTC on the Sony, I can clearly hear it for several hours after the 2010 can no longer pick it up.

Drawbacks - the term "portable" is subjective - a concrete block is also portable but you would probably get tired of lugging that around too. But you can take it with you if you want; battery consumption is surprisingly good in this unit.

Overall - for an excellent, out of the box shortwave, this is the one to get. The Sony 2010 has been around for a long time and was considered to be one of the best receivers on the market - the Grundig wasn't around then but it is far superior to anything Sony has on the market. Non-portable, more expensive units hooked to outdoor antennas will perform better, but this radio will serve anyone very well at a fraction of the cost of Yaesu, et al.

I've seen some of the reviews mentioning that the radio is expensive. "Expensive" is a relative term. Amazon's current price is $455 and change. This could be considered a lot of money (and, of course, it is), yet, when comparing this radio to others of equal calibre, the price is relatively "cheap."

It depends what you want from this piece of electronics. Note that it is extremely versatile: it can be used as an FM tuner in a stereo system (and its stereo FM section may well outperform the one in your receiver; its AM section certainly will).

The sound is really outstanding, certainly the best "built-in" sound of any short wave radio.

It even comes with a pair of high-quality headphones.

It is "portable" at least around the house or yard; don't try to take it on an airplane or even in your car unless you are alone! Yes, as others have stated, it is big, but I do not regard that as a disadvantage. The sound quality alone justifies the size, not to mention the pleasure derived from operating a radio with large, well-spaced controls and an LED-illuminated "control panel" that can be read by me even without my eyeglasses! (For airplane travel, you want a small portable radio.)

The sensitivity of this radio is outstanding. My particular unit measures 0.4 mcv for 10 dB S/N. I do not believe any currently available small portable short wave radio comes even close to that figure. Selectivity, with its three built-in IF filters, is equally outstanding. Image rejection (very important) is excellent.

Tuning is very versatile: a large, easy-to-operate knob (which does not "mute" the radio while tuning), 5 kHz "slewing" buttons, and 70 memories, which are, in fact, separate from the variable frequency "oscillator," in effect giving the radio two tuners. (You must use these tuners to really appreciate them.)

The synchronous selectable sideband circuit (sounds complicated, doesn't it? It's not. It is quite easy to understand once you have read the comprehensive and easy-to-follow instruction manual) makes listening to AM and SW signals, which are subject to "selective fading distortion" (sounds like the announcer has a very bad cold - I'm sure all of you have experienced that phenomenon) a positive pleasure. That form of distortion (very common) is completely eliminated by this circuit. A number of short wave receivers have that circuit, but very few work as well as that of the Satellit 800.

Most people use the built-in antennas which are, in fact, very good. I recommend a new purchaser use these antennas to become familiar with the receiver. If these are satisfactory, well then, nothing further is necessary. But note that the radio can handle three (3) "outboard" antennas: two for AM/SW and one for FM. There are many suitable antennas available for purchase which will enhance the listening experience. Remember, the antenna is actually more important that the radio! The antenna must be "matched" to the particular receiver.

I own a very expensive short wave receiver; it cost over four times the price of the Satellit 800. I also own a very sophisticated (and expensive) antenna which I use with that expensive radio.

Yet when I hook my Satellit 800 to that antenna, I get AT LEAST 95% of the performance of the expensive radio.

In that light, the Grundig Satellit 800 is NOTHING SHORT OF A BARGAIN!

I cannot recommend this radio too highly.