- AM/FM-Stereo and Shortwave bands
- Analog Tuner, with digital display
- Digital display shows frequency, time and alarm activation
- Telescopic antenna for FM and SW reception and an internal ferrite bar antenna for AM reception
- Power source: 2 x AAA batteries (not included) DC input (5V)
Pros:
great SW reception (on par with Grundig G1000, for instance)
good AM reception/selectivity (strong stations don't bleed too much into the adjacent frequencies)
solid feel. non-slippery plastic body
Cons:
some mirror images from powerful FM stations on SW (not a huge problem, though)
FM is quirky without the extended antenna only the most powerful stations are heard, but if you extend antenna for just one inch, they overload the receiver so I couldn't listen to some of the weaker stations in my area (like 90.3 or 91.1).
touching the unit below the LCD panel changes the tuning by a couple of kHz, so I learned to hold it a little lower to prevent a station drift.
Overall, not a bad buy for $30.
UPDATE (after 1 week): I essentially gave up on the FM band in this radio it's practically useless as it fares much worse that any other radio I have. There's no way for me to change the initial 4-star rating but I'd give it 3 stars based on this fact
Buy Grundig M400 Super Compact AM/FM/Shortwave Radio with Digital Display, Red - (NGM400R) Now
ONE STAR RATING!!! I've used this radio for a while now. Please buy something else. It drives me crazy. the drifting is getting worse and I have to retune the radio every 15 minutes or so. Buy the Sangean or a Kaito KA11. I did and now this radio is in a drawer. I will give it away at some point.I bought this to carry to baseball games and it sure fits in a pocket well. The little speaker does a nice job, talk radio is tolerable and a ball game sounds OK as long as you are in a quiet place while listening. It's not great but for this size radio it's very acceptable. FM reception seems very good, AM is spotty at best, and SW I don't know enough about to inform so I'm not saying a word. A bass boost would have been a great option as well as a lock for the tuning (more on that in a moment).Now that I have said the most positive things I can about this radios lets move on to it's shortcomings.
The volume control is unguarded so when you drop this into your pocket or the supplied carrying case the volume goes to 11 and you either jump like an idiot or your ears are bleeding. Seriously the volume control is very easily rotated so it goes to zero while removing it from the case and all the way up while inserting back into the case.
This radio drifts, and I mean alot. You can tune in a strong AM station and just watch the digital tuning go up or down. Also as another reviewer wrote, if you hold it in the wrong place this will definately move your tuning point.
I wouldn't recommend this radio to a friend. It has a few good points, but the negatives really hold this radio back. I've thought about returning it but by the time I pay to ship it back to Amazon, it just isn't worth it. Sangean makes a good AM/FM pocket radio with a speaker....try that first. It's more expensive but you tend to get what you pay for. Another option is the CCrane SWP. I have one coming in after borrowing a pals. It isn't perfect but it's a much better product.UPDATE 9-24-12 -FOUR stars are now in place.
ETON are working on their problem areas. AM reception for the 2012 edition is now "satisfactory"! FM still really good. LCD display is excellent! SW exception is good to excellent, but still difficult to tune. The "tuning drift" problem 'still annoying'.
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FM: EXCELLENT, sensitive, stable, good stereo earphones. Note, I live in the boonies, do not have issues with overload.
AM: See above Sept 2012 update.
SW: GOOD sensitivity. DIFFICULT to tune in the higher frequency band (19m and 16m). You will miss (skip) many stations when manually scanning this band.
OTHER: Build-Quality is EXCELLENT. The accessories are nice and good quality. The radio is too wide for my palm. This destroys its "thin-ness" appeal. Speaker output is "high-pitched", this elevates unnecessarily static and noise on both AM and SW.
NOTES, two weeks after the first purchase and a trip to Europe: I love the easy to read (without glasses) ALARM and CLOCK functions! SW is actually "good" (I am comparing to "Grundig Buzz Aldrin G6", and the SANGEAN built "Radio Shack DX-398" Do not forget, this is a $30.pocket radio.)
Two IMPROVEMENTS which I would like to see: 1. Give us a "Snooze" button 2. The "Lock" button does NOT lock the "Alarm" switch the radio can switch itself on while in your luggage.I have owned several Grundig radios in the past and have always been satisfied. Unfortunately, I find that this model does not live up to the previously highly regarded name of Grundig.
The general quality of the radio's presentation is excellent, as is the design of its exterior. It is my opinion, however, that the quality of the electronics is terrible. I believe that Eton have (re-)designed the radio's electronics; my guess (as a layman) is that the design may be ok, but that the quality of the electronic components is sub-standard. Truthfully, I cannot even receive one of the strongest local fm radio stations. The shortwave reception is practically useless.
I regret that I have bought two of these radios as presents and I am embarrassed before my friend to whom I have given one of them. The other radio I haven't even unpacked. I realize that the radios are low cost, but counting on the name of Grundig, I did expect them to work properly.
I cannot recommend this model to anyone.
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