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ETON Grundig 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 G2000A AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review
 A stylish, pocket-sized way to bring clear AM/FM, and limited shortwave radio reception anywhere you go. View larger. |
 A sleek leather case protects the radio. View larger. |
 Band selection on the top. View larger. |
 Small enough to take anywhere. View larger. |
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 auto-scanning (hold down the "H" or "M" tuning buttons for a moment, and the auto-scan takes over), power, meter (shortwave band selection), sleep, memo/time set, and alarm. In addition, the front of the unit features a slide-switch that locks the keypad, and another that allows you to select between radio and buzz for the alarm. All of these controls, as well as the LCD display, are arranged to the right of the G2000A's built-in speaker.
On the left side of the G2000A you'll find a 3.5mm connector for headphones and a DC jack power port. Grundig has included a set of earbud-style earphones for private listening right out of the box, or the small, built-in speaker on the front of the device allows you to share broadcasts with other listeners. In addition to the power port and headphone jack, this side of the radio also sports a mono/stereo slide-switch. The top of the unit features the slide volume control and a switch for FM, MW (commonly known as AM), SW1, and SW2. The SW1 position holds six shortwave band selections, and the SW2 holds seven. Once you select SW1 or SW1, you can then scroll through various bands with the meter button on the front of the unit. The G2000A also features a telescoping antenna on top of the unit that extends to over 20 inches for FM and shortwave reception, and there is a built-in ferrite bar antenna for AM reception. In addition to AC power (not included), the G2000A can also run off of three AA batteries.
LCD Display
The G2000A's display is crisp and clear, with a clean layout that makes it easy to control the radio's tuning, clock, and timer functions. When the radio is off, the display shows the time of day. When the radio is on, the display shows the frequency, but if you want to check the time or alarm settings, simply press the mode button to scroll through the other settings. This doesn't disturb your broadcast, and it allows you to check the time without turning the unit off -- a nice touch for a pocket-sized radio. Selecting shortwave meter bands is a breeze with this display, as you simply push the meter button until the meter you want is displayed on the screen. The radio's memories are easy to browse and recall on the display, as well.
The display provides other icons for even greater information. For example, two arrows in the upper left-hand corner light up when a station is correctly tuned; a small infinity sign indicates stereo reception for FM; the word "alarm" appears on the screen when the alarm is set, and a small bell or musical note indicate a buzz or radio wake-up. The G2000A even has an empty battery icon that lets you know when your radio is almost out of juice. You can also press the light button on the front of the device for viewing the display in the dark. However, the light feature shuts off if you lift your finger from the button, making it difficult to change settings or tune the unit in the dark. We would have liked to see a light that turned on and off with the press of a button, as opposed the G2000A's wristwatch-style illumination.
Tuning Options
Tuning the G2000A is straightforward. The radio tunes MW, FM and shortwave signals, and you can choose from manual, auto-scan, or direct frequency entry modes. If you're new to shortwave, auto-scan will quickly become your friend. With it, we quickly made 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 found the manual, up/down button press-tuning the most laborious, but with it, very meticulous tuning is possible.
The G2000A allows you to program 20 stations into the memory, five on each band. Considering the impressive memory system of some other pocket-sized radios (many will store over 500 frequencies), we were a little disappointed with the G2000A's station storage. However, once stored, recalling the memories is pretty easy, thanks to a straightforward on-screen interface.
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Eton E5 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review
 Simple to operate and carry, the E5 is great for tuning in the world wherever the notion strikes you. View larger. |
 On the right, a line out jack, tuning, and narrow/wide bandwidth selection. View larger. |
A row of function keys below the radio's LCD screen are contextual, meaning they control different things depending on which mode the radio is in. When in shortwave mode, they are used to select the meterband. When the radio is off, they control timer, battery charging, AM tuning step size, and other funtions. Yet another row of buttons controls memory functions.
Sound like a lot of buttons for such a small device? It is, and that's the only real complaint we had about the E5. A lot of controls and features are somewhat crammed into a small space. It's a bit daunting at first, but once you master the controls you'll likely have no problem.
On the left side of the E5 you'll find a 3.5mm connector for an external FM or shortwave antenna. Etón generously includes an 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.
 A crisp, clear display and a keypad for direct frequency entry. View larger. |
In addition to AC power, the the E10 can run off of four Ni-MH AA cells, which are not supplied. These can be recharged when you plug the unit in. Of course, you can also use non-rechargeable AA cells in a pinch.
LCD Display
When viewed level with your eyes, the E5'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. When viewed from an angle, the display is severely washed out, though. A separate space on the upper 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 is a breeze with this display, as you just push the meter band button (or the function keys below the display) until the meter you want is displayed on the screen. A signal strength meter is provided, as is a narrow/wide bandwidth indicator. The radio's memories are easy to browse and recall on the display, as well.
Tuning Options
Tuning the with E5 is straightforward and simple. As mentioned, the radio tunes AM, FM, shortwave, and SSB signals, and you can choose from auto-scan, manual up/down, tuning knob 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 E5's impressive memory system also deserves mention. With it, you can set up a huge catalog of stored frequencies -- 700 of them to be exact. Once stored, recalling all these memories is pretty easy, thanks to a fairly straightforward on-screen interface that stores and organizes the programmed memories. You can also scan through your memories to rapidly find the stored frequencies that are currently broadcasting.
Pros
