Home > Consumer Reviews > Eton S350 Deluxe DLB AM/FM Shortwave Radio (Black)

I haven't had a good shortwave radio since I was a kid. Since then I also have become an Electrical Engineer and have been so for many, many years. I got the bug to listen to shortwave with a lay up due to a recent injury. Wow, this radio is way cool! All the neat things I remember when tuning in a fine tuning radio 1 hertz at a time to receive a far off station. Digital radios just can't do that the same way. Great features such as RF gain, IF bandwidth and Low Pass Filter are very useful. A great radio, a great trip back to the past and new experiences. I am really enjoying it!

Frank

"Million-Dollar Looks for $100" - Analog w/digital display receivers do not have the stability of digital phase-locked loop (PLL) receivers.

I opened up the back of the radio, before returning it to RadioShack - it was mostly hollow inside, very cheap, low-grade plastic, and with 1960s-grade electronics. The front filter and band switches and tuning knob are flimsy. When putting the radio back together, I was very careful not to over-tighten/cross-thread the screws, but as soon as, one of the screws started to tighten down, the plastic started to crack. Because of the very cheap quality construction, the radio is very light-out-of-the-box, until the 4 "D" size batteries are inserted.

The filters do a minimal job and only muffle the very good audio. The RF gain control can always be set on maximum, so it only acts like a DX/LOC switch. Even the newer model drifts off the tuned frequency, despite a kludged fix, that only causes ergonomic problems - once a frequency locks on, it still drifts, causing one to have to retune way past the desired frequency, to break the lock. The S350 has significant tuning backlash, which is partly responsible for the frequency drift. There are images all over the SW bands, being a cheap, single-conversion superhet. There are no station memories, so anytime the band selection changes, the radio has to be retuned to the desired frequency. The speaker grill is plastic, the digital readout is low-resolution, the antenna doesn't lock into place, and the carrying handle is cheap, smelly, imitation-leather.

Instead, I bought a Radio Shack AM/FM (for AM DXing) model 12-898 for $25; it has digital PLL tuning (prevents drifting), DX/LOC switch, hi/low tone switch, 3" speaker with metal speaker grill, internal ferrite-bar antenna, lock switch, 20 station memory, almost as sensitive as the S350, and much better quality - even the antenna locks into place.

Don't be fooled by the "Grundig" name - it used to be made in Germany, but is now made in China, by Tecsun/Eton. Check out the Tecsun/Eton brand of this radio on Amazon (same junk), and show, "lowest rating first", also, look at the reviews for Grundig G2000A. Tecsun/Eton is becoming known for marketing jazzy, pretty radios that are poor quality/performers; they bought the rights to market products, under the "Grundig" name, hoping consumers will think they are still made in Germany.

With all that being said, with the restructuring of the 50K watt clear-channel AM stations, in the 1980s, AM DXing is not what it used to be, in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, many stations out West now have to use directional antennas, that cannot be picked up on the East Coast. All the hype about the CCradio, Superadio III, and S350 being, "DX machines", is nonsense, and with the clear-channel situation, certainly not worth the extra expense. With the Radio Shack receiver, I can easily pick up WWL 870 New Orleans (1000 miles), WHO 1040 Des Moines(900 miles), WABC 770 New York, and my favorite, WLW 700 Cincinnati - same as the S350. These stations can easily be picked up with standard car radios.

For just, as little as $30 more, one could purchase the Sony ICF-SW7600GR instead, with digital PLL tuning, dual-conversion, SSB, and synchronous detection; or, for $45 + $20 S&H, off Ebay.com, one could purchase a new Degen 1103 with digital PLL tuning, dual-conversion, and SSB (the S350 has none of the above).

Every house should have a Grundig S350 Deluxe. Big, brawny, "grabbing" in all the hard-to-get stations with ease, championing a big antenna that says this radio means serious business, the Grundig S350 Deluxe version, is a bigger, better version of the old Grundig S350. The speaker on the Deluxe is bigger and brighter. Whereas your fancy digital preset radios often sound like tin, the Grundig S350 DL has depth. Is it a perfect radio? No. You don't have presets in spite of the digital read-out. You get a little AM overload. Here in Los Angeles I get overload on 1150 so that I'm listening to two shows at once. Also the cheaper (and cheaper built) GE Superradio boasts an internal AM ferrite antenna twice the size and as a result gets slightly better AM.

If you're looking for a radio with similar features as the Grundig S350 DL but erases its weakness--no presets and AM overload, then you might want to check out the Grundig G4000A. It's the same price as the S350 and its speaker is surprisingly good for a digital preset shortwave radio. Or you might look at the stunning Kaito 1103 or its more expensive cousin the Eton E5. But even if you get a fancy preset radio, every house should have the big easy-to-use Grundig S350 Deluxe.

Eton S350 Deluxe DLB AM/FM Shortwave Radio (Black)

I Have both the older S-350, and now the S-350DL The 350DL is definatly an improvment over the 350, but not by much.

The RF gain actually works from low to high in a linear way not like a switch, that's a big help. The tuning lock is an improvment, but takes some getting used to. As you dial across the band, particularly on shortwave the Khz symbol will flash, indicating you are not locked on to the frequency. If you slow down to much, it will lock on and the Khz stops flashing. Great except if you are off a little or desire to tune one or two Khz off frequency you must move the dial about 5 Khz off to break the lock then retun quickly to your desired frequency without allowing it to lock when you dont want it to. Once you learn to work with it it's not really as difficult as it sounds.

The larger speaker may be better but I can't really tell both radios sound great, nice easy listening. The 350DL has a nice backlight (blue) that makes the LED's visable and clear even to my age challenged eyes.

Reception is great on AM, FM, amd shortwave, this radio is sensitive. Yes you can overload it, but you can always shorten the antenna a little to compensate. Turning the radio does help with AM reception but that is normal with a ferrite bar antennas, and this radio has a big one. All such antennas recieve directionaly and null to the sides.

Cheap plastic box? Well all radios these days, just about, are plastic, and I find the Tecsun produced (Grundig) no better and no worse. Chinese ? Well most all radios are now produced in China, Grundig went bankrupt about a year ago and what is left is owned by a Turkish company. So this has left Eton who owns the Grundig name in North America to carry on. If people think the Tecsun radios produced in China are poorly enginered then consider the history of this company's start up. Under the Supervision of German engineers and closely monitored in production and manufacturing equipment, they have become a world leader in shortwave. They started life as a company called German Fresh, I know, wierd name but you get the connection.

Bottom line, nice radio there are better but they cost two to three times more and you may get 25% better performance. As a Ham Operator let me say the antenna is maybe as important as the reciever. Get an outside wire. Oh if someone has a 350 I would not rush out to upgrade to the DL unless it's important to you, both are good radios to listen to.

Sorry for any typos but thats me.
73's (Ham Talk)

As good a SW receiver as a Drake for 1/10th the cost, and comparable to a Grundig Yachtboy for FM reception. There are no presets which is a small inconvenience, but a full sound emits from the large speaker. The biggest drawback is that the SW meter is an LCD digital 'bargraph' with little granulation. It is always on regardless of signal strength or clarity; thus it is rendered useless as an assist in tuning. Otherwise a great radio for the money.