|
Eton S350DL AM/FM Shortwave Deluxe Radio Receiver (Black) | 
 enlarge
| Brand: Eton
Category: CE
This item is no longer available
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 24274
Color: BLACK
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.4
Dimensions (in): 12.5 x 3.5 x 7
MPN: ES350DL-B
Model: ES350DL-B
UPC: 750254612473
EAN: 0750254612473
ASIN: B0009X6QH4
| |
| Features:
| • | Modern, high-performance field radio combined with classic styling, rugged construction, and military-style controls | | • | Accurate tuning across the AM, FM, and shortwave bands | | • | Features large tuning knob and a concentric, independent fine-tuning control knob | | • | Stereo line-level output, and jacks for supplementary AM, FM and shortwave antennas | | • | Can be powered with the included AC adapter, or via four "D" or four "AA" batteries |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The eton S350 DL Deluxe Shortwave Radio Receiver is an analog receiver with digital display of AM, FM and international shortwave bands. It has exceptional play-time and offers a wide range of listening choices. It's the perfect choice for the radio enthusiast. L & R line level outputs and stereo/mono switch 90 minute sleep timer automatically turns the radio off Earphone jack Powered by four D batteries (not included) Color - Black Dimensions - 10.5 x 6.5 x 3.5 Weight - 3 lbs, 9 oz.
Amazon.com Review
Experienced shortwave radio aficionados rejoice: Now you can pick up a fully modern radio with a design that hearkens back to the early days of your hobby. The Eton S350 Deluxe, which is actually produced by the respected European electronics manufacturer, Grundig, offers a great feature set for listening to radio broadcasts from distant shores. The design is suitably rugged for use in the field, or you can use it at home as a simple, yet powerful AM/FM receiver and alarm clock. 
The S350 Deluxe: Rugged, retro, and ready to tune in the world. View larger. | 
Easy-to-use, durable controls. View larger. | 
This radio offers plenty of connectivity options. | Design
If you long for a return of the fashions from the film Breakin' and you're a fan of the 80s design aesthetic, the S350 Deluxe is right up your alley. Everything from the blocky, silver and black case to the over-sized dials and switches will take you back to the "Ghetto Blaster" era. While the design gives the radio a solid look, we were a little disappointed that the E350 Deluxe -- unlike many radios made 20 years ago -- is completely made of plastic (with the exception of the speaker cover). While the plastic knobs and controls are made to look metallic, they don't quite deliver the solid feel of metal -- something that would be nice in a rugged field radio. This quibble aside, the controls are responsive and well-positioned and the case does feel solid. The prominent tuning knob is designed well with concentric gross and fine dials. These are made all the better by a big, easy-to-read monochrome LCD display that lets you step through frequencies with extreme accuracy. It's a minor detail, but the padded carry handle is a nice touch, too. Features
At the heart of the S350 Deluxe is its robust synthesized digital tuner section, meaning the tuner is analog, but frequencies are displayed on a digital readout. FM tuning offers an AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) mode that automatically picks out the strongest stations -- great if you're someplace with a crowded FM dial. You can also switch the AFC mode off for fine tuning less powerful stations. Although the S350 Deluxe sports just one speaker, you can listen to FM stations in stereo through a pair of headphones. The large, comfortable headphones were a welcome surprise when we pulled the unit out of the box. AM tuning can be switched between narrow and wide sensitivities to control interference. Further tuning refinements are available via the low pass filter switch, as well as a handy RF gain dial. Both of these features can also be used when tuning one of the three shortwave bands. And if you're serious about shortwave, you'll be glad to know that the S350 Deluxe can accept external antennas that can augment reception from the built-in, telescoping one. There's also an antenna port for enhanced FM reception. In addition to a headphone output, the S350 Deluxe has stereo RCA line out jacks for connecting the unit to an amplifier or home stereo. The radio supports battery and AC power, but we were in for another surprise when we opened the battery compartment. Not only can the radio run on four "D" batteries, but there is also another, smaller compartment that accepts four "AA" cells -- a nice little bonus if you need temporary power and you only have the smaller cells on hand. Lastly, the S350 Deluxe offers basic sleep, alarm and snooze functions that were fairly easy to set and use. The LCD has a backlight button, so nighttime viewing is no problem. Thankfully, unlike the S350, the S350 Deluxe allows you to set the clock while the radio is operating. Tuning In
FM tuning is very impressive. Because the radio can tune frequencies down to the hundredth decimal place, you'll easily tune problematic FM stations, or perhaps stations you've never heard before. The S350 Deluxe adds another improvement over the S350 in the tuning department, as well. The addition of new shortwave/AM frequency lock circuit improves stability to reduce tuning drift. With very little experience or understanding of shortwave radio we were able to quickly tune in stations from as far away as Japan and Russia (Eton includes a handy crash course on shortwave tuning in the user's manual). Our only complaint in the tuning department: It's impossible to keep a station tuned on one band while tuning on other bands. For example, with an FM station locked in, switching to shortwave and tuning there changes the tuning on the FM band when you return. Pros
- Exceptionally accurate tuning
- Advanced filtering and interference control
- Fun, retro styling
- Headphones in the box!
Cons
- Plastic knobs and case
- Cannot "lock" stations while tuning on other bands
What's in the Box
S350 Deluxe AM/FM Shortwave Field Radio, AC adapter, user's manual.
Amazon.com Product Description
Get the best of both worlds: A modern and high-performance field radio combined with classic styling, rugged construction, and military-style controls. The Eton S350 Deluxe AM/FM Shortwave Radio also features highly sensitive and selective analog tuner circuitry that ensures reliable, accurate tuning across the AM, FM, and shortwave bands. Other features include a large, full-range speaker for clear sound; a line-level output; separate bass, treble, and RF gain controls; and wide and narrow bandwidth filter controls. All this and more is contained in a case that's only 12 inches wide and weighs under 3.5 pounds. It's a great way to tune in to local and international news, music, and sports wherever you roam. Design and Controls
One look at the S350 Deluxe and you'll think you've stepped back in time. However, the classic design conceals technology that's anything but retro. The large, integrated speaker offers full-range sound while the digital frequency readout displays accurate frequency stepping for all three bands. The bright LCD screen also displays clock and alarm info. Precise tuning is handled by a large tuning knob and a concentric, independent fine-tuning control knob. You also get variable RF gain control, a rotary volume control, independent bass and treble control, and a low-pass filter for shortwave and AM reception. Controls for clock and alarm functions are arrayed above the LCD display. A built-in telescopic antenna handles FM and shortwave reception, and there's a built-in ferrite bar antenna for AM. Tuning and Bands
On the AM band, you'll get tuning between 530 and 1710 KHz, while FM tuning is available from 88 to 108 MHz. When tuning in shortwave, the S350 Deluxe offers continuous coverage from 3 to 28 MHz. This includes 13 international broadcast bands: 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 25, 31, 41, 49, 60, 75 and 90 meters. As mentioned, the S350 Deluxe is built with high-quality tuner circuitry that maximizes accuracy, while offering an AM/shortwave frequency lock system. Connections and Power
The S350 is equipped with a number of connectivity features, including a stereo line-level output, and jacks for supplementary AM, FM and shortwave antennas -- great for boosting reception when you need it. A stereo headphone jack makes it easy to listen to the radio in full stereo without disturbing others. The unit can be powered with the included AC adapter, or via four "D" or four "AA" batteries. Extras
Unlike its predecessor, the S350, the S350 Deluxe allows you to set the radio's clock and alarm while the radio is still playing. A sleep timer will shut the radio off after a set interval, and last but not least, a convenient, strap-style carry handle makes it easy to take the S350 Deluxe along on any jaunt. What's in the Box
S350 Deluxe radio, AC adapter, stereo headphones, and user's manual.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Nothing Special Just OK September 12, 2008
Tommy Gun (Elgin, IL.)
I have owned this radio for around two years. My comments are:
-The reception (AM ) is nothing great, average at best. Lot's of frequency drift, especially them listening to distant stations.
-The FM however is better than average (both sound and reception).
-I have used(but not too much) with the SW
channels . Never actually picked up much of anything anything.
- The clock looses about 5 minutes a month.
- The unit is easy on batteries.
-Over all the unit does have some good features (SW/AM gain,Base & Treble,90 minute Snooze timer to name a few) I perfer a radio in this class with a digital PLL tuner.
Great beginner radio August 9, 2008
J. R. Trommer (Madison, WI United States)
I've been using this radio for almost a year and I'm very pleased. It has good reception even without using an external antenna. The sound is rich and not tinny like other radios I have heard. The only downside is that the turning knobs don't don't always hit the exact frequency you want. Sometimes requiring the radio to be turned off and back on if it's a very faint signal you need to be exact for. Fantastic radio for discovering the world of shortwave radio!
Fun radio for beginners and old radioheads August 7, 2008
Breyel (MALAYSIA)
Just got the Chinese badged version of Eton S350DL AM/FM Shortwave Deluxe Radio Receiver (Black) and Grundig S350 Deluxe AM/FM/Shortwave Radio, Black (the Tecsun BCL-3000) as a gift from a friend who brought it back from his hometown in China. Out of the box and after a few hours of use, I've got to say it's a fun portable radio.
For those who cut their teeth on analog radios, the S350DL is sure to be a nostalgic trip down radio land. It has been for me. Dialing in 1 Khz increments, but with a digital readout. Flipping SW band switches / FM-AFC / RF Gain / Wide-Narrow filters / dial-type volume control. Tuning in shortwave stations that drift slightly (depending on room temperature). It all had me remembering my first shortwave set.
And I've owned many shortwave radios since the late 1960s, including a Realistic DX-160, Zenith Trans-Oceanic H500, Panasonic RF-B45, Degen DE-1120 (Kaito KA-1120). In some ways the BCL-3000/S350DL embodies the best and worst of these radios. The sound is as good as the Zenith Trans-Oceanic with its bass and treble controls; Wide/Narrow filters are similar to the Degen/Kaito, although broader they do sort out some of the weaker stations; plastic build is like so many plastic radio cases -- it can and will break when dropped; the automatic frequency lock to eliminate drifting common to analog radios like the Realistic helps.
If you're looking for a radio that provides on-the-spot frequency accuracy, digital readout, multi-station memory, sync mode, drift-free operation, and other technical innovations in recent years, the BCL-3000/S350DL is probably not the radio for you. It's more like the 1960s Montgomery Wards AM/FM/SW radio my parents gave me as a kid; it's a great beginner's shortwave set or ideal for old radioheads.
Having said that, it does do a pretty decent job of receiving most of the major international shortwave stations, despite some overlapping on other frequencies. It seems to excel on AM and FM, pulling in weak stations and amplifying the reception better than some of my portables like the Panasonic RF-B45 and Degen DE-1102. FM stereo is available through headphones or auxiliary speakers which it has jacks for. The whip antenna is sufficient to receive many stronger stations. It even has connections for an outdoor antenna/ground which I'm sure will improve the signal reception immensely; a makeshift 20 foot aerial seems to indicate it will respond well to a longer wire antenna.
Simply put, it's a fun radio to use!
 N I C E . May 15, 2008
Jeffery L. Phillips
Nice short wave radio easy to use and for the portably i take it with me when i go camping.
My first ShortWave radio and a great starting point. April 29, 2008
Nick Maas (Staunton, VA USA)
I was given this radio as a gift by a close friend who is actually a ham operator. I knew absolutely nothing about SW, but this friend gave me some pointers, discussed radio choices, recommended the magazine "Monitoring Times" (which I now purchase faithfully each month), and a couple of weeks later the gift arrived at the door step. It's been a great way to learn about, and listen to SW.
OK, so here are my pro's and con's. On the pro side, the operation manual is well written, and very helpful to beginners. In fact, portions of the manual are clearly written for absolute SW beginners like me. I benefited greatly from a couple of serious turns to this manual and I still resort to it today. I actually used the band charts displayed in this manual to make another radio purchasing decision tonight. The only con to the manual is that a little more information on troubleshooting problems would be a help too. Still, the manual is very valuable.
I find the radio easy to use, but like other reviewers, I find that adjusting the knob is often tricky. It can be frustrating, especially on a night when the reception for a favorite station is just not as good as usual. That's my biggest con, but one I have generally learned to deal with as I've gotten used to working with the radio.
Going back to the manual. A little more info. about exactly what one does to fashion such a thing as a grounding wire would be helpful too. I asked someone in the know, fashioned one that leads to a rod planted in the ground outside of my sun room window, and the results were fine.
I recommend this radio to anyone interested in SW/AM/FM. I now know of a couple of other people who own this unit and like it very much. As I continue to listen to SW, this radio will probably serve me very well for years to come.
|
|
|
|
Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only. Electronics-vault.com does not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.
|
| |
