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ETON YB400PE AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review
Design and Controls
Weighing in at one pound, five ounces ounces, and measuring 8 x 5 x 1.5 inches (W x H x D), the YB-400PE falls squarely in the portable radio category. While it's certainly not pocket-size, you can pack it in your suitcase with ease. The silver plastic case isn't awe inspiring, but it feels durable and ready to handle a few rough and tumble trips.
Most of the action can be found on the front of the unit, where you'll find a direct frequency entry keypad, as well as buttons for controlling the timer, auto-scanning, up/down station selection, band selection, memory control, and SSB mode.
On the left side of the YB-400PE you'll find a 3.5mm connector for an external shortwave antenna. Grundig generously includes a handy wind-up antenna that can be plugged in here to enhance signal reception -- although there is a telescoping antenna on the top of the unit. In addition to a power port and stereo headphone jack for FM listening, the side of the radio also sports an antenna gain switch that lets you choose between DX and local modes, allowing you to tone down excessively strong AM or shortwave stations if need be. When in FM mode, another switch selects FM stereo or mono modes. When in shortwave mode, the switch offers wide and narrow bandwidth selectivity. The narrow position offers maximum signal selectivity, while the wide position affords higher audio fidelity.
Dials are provided on the right side of the YB-400PE for fine tuning and volume. The fine tuning knob is great for really homing in on those SSB broadcasts. You'll also find an SSB mode switch, as well as a tone switch, which lets you choose between bass and treble, but provides no adjustment for either one. We assume the switch is intended to enhance the lower or upper music ranges when selected, but the difference between the two settings wasn't that noticeable. In addition to AC power, the the YB-400PE can run off of six AA cells, which are not supplied. For the sake of comparison, the E10 and E5 models only require 4 AA batteries -- and they can charge rechargeable AA cells.
LCD Display
The G4000's backlit display is crisp and clear, with a clean layout that makes it easy to control the radio's tuning, clock, and timer functions. We do wish the backlight were a tad brighter, but this is a minor quibble. A separate space in the upper left portion of the screen is provided for the clock display so you can view the time and tune the radio at the same time -- a nice touch.
Selecting shortwave meter bands on the YB-400PE requires manually typing the meter band number with the numeric keypad and then hitting the meter select button. A more straightforward solution here, and one that is employed on the newer E10 and E5 units, would be to simply scroll through the meters with each successive key press of the meter select button. Fortunately, though, the radio's memory functions are easy to browse and recall on the display.
Tuning Options
Tuning the with YB-400PE is straightforward and simple, but it's important to note that -- once again, unlike the E5 and E10 -- this radio does not offer direct digital tuning. Instead, you get synthesized digital tuning. This means that the frequency readout is digital, but the radio actually uses an analog tuning mechanism. Some people do prefer the "feel" of analog tuning to direct digital.
The radio tunes AM, FM, shortwave, and SSB signals, and you can choose from auto-scan, manual up/down, or direct keypad entry modes. If you're new to shortwave, auto-scan will quickly become your friend. With it, we quickly made a lot of discoveries, and heard stations from all over the world -- although our limited language skills made it difficult to always know exactly to whom or what we were listening! We also tried some SSB tuning, which is designed to capture ham radio and two-way radio communications. SSB is notoriously difficult to tune, but with a little time and effort --(including standing outside for a good while -- we were able to pick up some faint signals).
The YB-400PE's memory system also deserves mention. With it, you can store up to 40 frequencies for later retrieval. Once stored, recalling all these memories is pretty easy, thanks to a fairly straightforward on-screen interface that lets you scroll through them. You can also directly enter the number of your stored memory -- if you keep a record of it.
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Eton FR250 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Silver Review
 Emergency lighting, cell phone power, and radio tuning all in one compact package. View larger. |
 A clear, easy-to-read radio dial. View larger. |
 The hand crank recharges the integrated rechargeable battery. |
According to the product manual, to achieve 40 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted power to the radio, you must turn the crank at a rate of two revolutions per second for 90 seconds. In our test, after our initial 90 seconds of rigorous cranking, the FR250 powered right up and was still going strong with radio reception after an hour. At the hour mark, we briefly turned the flashlight on, and that too was at full force, with no perceivable drain on radio reception. In fact, the FR250 was still going strong 75 minutes after we recharged the battery pack. The FR250 can also be powered via an AC adapter which, to our dismay, is not included, or from three AA batteries, also not included. The dynamo crank tucks itself nicely into the side of the radio and offers little resistance as you turn the handle. (Don't let the cranking requirements frighten you! While it's true that a full 90 seconds of turning the crank can be tiring and may not be for everyone, we were able to recharge the radio with less than a minute of cranking and achieved over 40 minutes of continuous power.)
Design and Controls
At slightly more than a pound in weight, and with dimensions of 6.5 x 6.00 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD), the FR250 is designed to be tucked neatly into its handy nylon carrying case and stored in an emergency box, or packed neatly for a camping trip. A white LED light is set on the front of the radio, just to the side of the analog tuner. The light is designed to help you down an unlit stairwell or enclosed hallway in a pinch, but it is not directed or strong enough to help you much in a pitch-black forest or other open area. The FR250 also includes a red flashing LED light that can be used as a distress signal. The radio and light can be operated simultaneously, though of course at the expense of power.
The FR250 includes a handy strap on the top of the radio for easy carrying, and the tuning and volume knobs are set to the side. The mechanical controls are extremely visible and easy to use. The volume control is a bit difficult to finesse, while the tuning knob, which features a smaller concentric fine-tuning control knob, is much easier. An earphone jack is set into the back, and the telescoping antenna tucks neatly behind the handle strap. The radio's 2.5-inch speaker is set directly in front and offers reasonable audio quality and excellent volume for the radio's purpose. The tuner itself is self-illuminated, though in a darkened environment it is still difficult to pick out the bands.
Tuning and Bands
The FR250 offers nine-band tuning -- AM, FM and 7 shortwave bands. As was the case with all of the Etón emergency radios we tested, our AM reception was outstanding; we were quickly able to tune into every station we searched for. Reception for FM was also very good, though there was some extra fine-tuning on some of the stations. Our shortwave reception, however, was a mixed bag. We tested in the early and late evening, searching for signals in the more heavily populated SW3 and SW4. While we found several signals during our test, honing in on them took a bit of finesse with the fine-tuning knob. And when we did find them, there was static and background noise with most of the signals.
It became clear during our testing that the FR250 is an emergency radio, with several outstanding and potentially life-saving features, including shortwave reception. Its shortwave functionality, however, is not its primary selling point. However, its emergency siren and lighting, and particularly its self charging functionality, are. So if you're in the market for an economical emergency radio, the Etón FR250 more than fits the bill.
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