There may not be anything wrong with yours. The 398/909 is pretty
deaf off the whip. Try an external antenna of even moderate length,
20 ft or so into the external antenna jack. You should find that the
radio really comes alive. If not, then you have a problem.

The 398/909 is super with a short external wire. This is why I think
it is great mini-desk top radio but not so hot as a travel portable.
Also, the extremely short battery life on this radio makes it a poor
choice as a portable.

Feed it a little wire and an AC adapter and you got a great set up