On Apr 28, 11:30*am, Joe Analssandrini
wrote:
Dear Telamon and Everyone Else Reading This:
Best,

Joe


Hello Joe,

It’s certainly no secret that both the Sat 800 and the Eton E1 have
had their problems. I wouldn't use the qualifier "most especially"
with regard to the E1, however. The Sat 800 was certainly plagued
with a long litany of problems. I have a Sat 800 sitting here at home
that has a list of about 10 or so issues for which I may eventually
send the unit to Drake for servicing (no rush, really, as the E1
supplanted the Sat 800 for many of my day to day listening
requirements, as performance-wise it is an upgrade from the Sat 800).
The main difference might be that there was an actual recall with the
Eton E1 for the units with the leaking battery issue (not that there
weren't a few reported units a few hundred above and below the trace
recall that exhibited the same problem). Unfortunately, even the E1
and Sat 800’s predecessor, the Drake SW8 has not been immune to
certain problems: indeed, the SW8’s display failure problem (user
remediable if you’re not afraid to crack the thing open) was pervasive
enough that Drake for long had on their website instructions for how
to correct this problem.

I can certainly understand your being ****ed at having sent the Sat
800 back 3 times and having shelled out so much on repeated repairs.
I am curious as to what problems you've experienced with your Sat
800. I'm sure the encoder problems must be in your list...

Eton is certainly guilty of having played a poor hand on both the Sat
800 and the Eton E1. That said, both radios are excellent performers
when functioning properly. The Eton E1 appears less prone toward
repeat failings, with the exception of those exhibiting the display
failure. In the case of the display failure, there do seem to be a
number of folks who’ve had to send their units back more than once.
It’s anyone’s guess as to what Eton has going on with the E1
currently. As you are a member of the E1 Yahoo Group, I guess you’ve
seen that there is some delay in Eton replenishing their stock of E1
receivers (with the one guy being repeatedly told they’d be getting
more in a month…and we’re now 5 months on). Hopefully, they’re
correcting some of the issues that have marred the image of this
otherwise excellent radio. It was, of course, interesting to learn
that Eton had addressed +/- 70 Hz SSB drift issue (an issue that had
so annoyed a number of people, including myself, although the degree
of drift was actually within the manufacturer’s specs) through the a
component replacement in the later production units. I should hope
that they might do the same with the FM stereo lock issue.
Ultimately, though, the Eton E1 is getting a worse rap than it
deserves in the Yahoo group, which has in many ways turned into a rant-
fest for a few vocal individuals who repeatedly voice the same (often
legitimate) concerns. But then, that group is one that actually stays
on topic; so the messages posted invariably tend to be from two
groups: those who feel they’ve been burnt and those who are looking
to purchase an E1 and want to know more. It’s a platform that lends
itself to repeated postings of the same folks’ tales of woe! Ah,
well, it is interesting nonetheless that a few of the folks who
complain about Eton most are also regular users of the E1. And I can
sympathize with them. Eton has a great product design on their hand
with the E1, something quite unique and a product that I should hope
we’d all like to see them learn to execute properly on a more
consistent basis.

As for Eton, they've certainly demonstrated a track record of quality
control issues and component failures in their more advanced
portables. I would not, however, generalize this more broadly toward
their overall product line. Given that "Eton" is more a marketing firm
than a true radio manufacturer, I guess that isn't so surprising. The
Eton E5/Grundig G5 is actually a very nice radio, I have to say. I
picked one up recently, and I must say I've been pleasantly surprised
by its performance. And this is coming from someone who is, like you,
a die-hard fan of the Sony '7600 series radios.

I’d have to agree with you that there’s no indication that the Sat 750
is in any way a groundbreaking offering by Eton. Looking at the
features offered on this set, it appears to be pretty basic: two
bandwidths, no sync, and certainly no PBT, as found on the E1. A
number of niceties, to be su analog signal strength meter, bass/
treble controls & a nicely sized speaker, AM MW antenna for the MW
enthusiasts. And there are the gimmicky/BS features, like the cell
phone charger. It may emerge as a decent performer; let’s wait, see
and hope so. But there’s no feature on this radio that is in any way
more sophisticated than, say, the technology you’d find in the Grundig
Yacht Boy 400…only a bigger cabinet and retro styling. Consequently,
I’d be less likely to apply the Sat 800 / Eton E1 analogy to this
set. But then, we shall see. Certainly, though, caution is advised
on any purchase where you’re shelling out a decent sum of money. And
all said and done, they’ve put a relatively pricey tag on this unit,
given what it offers in terms of features.

I certainly will not be one of the first in line for the '750, but
I've certainly not ruled it out as yet.

Junius