JRS wrote:
I received a Grundig S350DL from my kids for Christmas. I suspect
this unit was a return to Radio Shack. The tuning seems awful sloppy,
and it is difficult to tune in an exact frequency (like 5875, etc).
It will overshoot the target frequency requiring several attempts at
dialing in the exact frequency.

Also, the radio was not wrapped in any kind of protective plastic.
The AC adapter looks like it was used. I know my kids saved a lot of
their money for this gift, but this thing works worse than my older
S350.

Did anyone purchase one of these recently? If so, was your radio
wrapped in a plastic wrapper or bag before being placed in the carton?
Thanks for the help!

John

That's RS for you - many times I have told them I wanted
new-in-the-box, but they made up some damn excuses and gave me returned
items. God, I hate shopping at RS. Maybe, you got my S350 that I
returned - I opened it up, before I returned it, and some washers fell
out, but I couldn't figure out where to put them ! Anyway, here is my
review of the piece-of-**** S350 off Amazon:

"Million-Dollar Looks for $100" - Analog w/digital display receivers do

not have the stability of digital phase-locked loop (PLL) receivers.

I opened up the back of the radio, before returning it to RadioShack -
it was mostly hollow inside, very cheap, low-grade plastic, and with
1960s-grade electronics. The front filter and band switches and tuning
knob are flimsy. When putting the radio back together, I was very
careful not to over-tighten/cross-thread the screws, but as soon as,
one of the screws started to tighten down, the plastic started to
crack. Because of the very cheap quality construction, the radio is
very light-out-of-the-box, until the 4 "D" size batteries are inserted.


The filters do a minimal job and only muffle the very good audio. The
RF gain control can always be set on maximum, so it only acts like a
DX/LOC switch. Even the newer model drifts off the tuned frequency,
despite a kludged fix, that only causes ergonomic problems - once a
frequency locks on, it still drifts, causing one to have to retune way
past the desired frequency, to break the lock. The S350 has significant

tuning backlash, which is partly responsible for the frequency drift.
There are images all over the SW bands, being a cheap,
single-conversion superhet. There are no station memories, so anytime
the band selection changes, the radio has to be retuned to the desired
frequency. The speaker grill is plastic, the digital readout is
low-resolution, the antenna doesn't lock into place, and the carrying
handle is cheap, smelly, imitation-leather.

Instead, I bought a Radio Shack AM/FM (for AM DXing) model 12-898 for
$25; it has digital PLL tuning (prevents drifting), DX/LOC switch,
hi/low tone switch, 3" speaker with metal speaker grill, internal
ferrite-bar antenna, lock switch, 20 station memory, almost as
sensitive as the S350, and much better quality - even the antenna locks

into place.

Don't be fooled by the "Grundig" name - it used to be made in Germany,
but is now made in China, by Tecsun/Eton. Check out the Tecsun/Eton
brand of this radio on Amazon (same junk), and show, "lowest rating
first", also, look at the reviews for Grundig G2000A. Tecsun/Eton is
becoming known for marketing jazzy, pretty radios that are poor
quality/performers; they bought the rights to market products, under
the "Grundig" name, hoping consumers will think they are still made in
Germany.

With all that being said, with the restructuring of the 50K watt
clear-channel AM stations, in the 1980s, AM DXing is not what it used
to be, in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, many stations out West now
have to use directional antennas, that cannot be picked up on the East
Coast. All the hype about the CCradio, Superadio III, and S350 being,
"DX machines", is nonsense, and with the clear-channel situation,
certainly not worth the extra expense. With the Radio Shack receiver, I

can easily pick up WWL 870 New Orleans (1000 miles), WHO 1040 Des
Moines(900 miles), WABC 770 New York, and my favorite, WLW 700
Cincinnati - same as the S350. These stations can easily be picked up
with standard car radios.

For just, as little as $30 more, one could purchase the Sony
ICF-SW7600GR instead, with digital PLL tuning, dual-conversion, SSB,
and synchronous detection; or, for $45 + $20 S&H, off Ebay.com, one
could purchase a new Degen 1103 with digital PLL tuning,
dual-conversion, and SSB (the S350 has none of the above).

Sorry...