I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the
kitchen table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands
occasionally goes berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency
tuning window. After a bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast
tuning from one end of the dial to the other several times, resolves the
problem for a short while. This problem aside, it's been a great little
radio.

I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt
to open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it
wouldn't be worth the repair cost.

So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio
Shack ) has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read
reviews crucifying the model and others praising it's merits for a radio
in that price range. A similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge
also has both very bad and good reviews.

In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the
Grundig GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other
models? Any suggestions?

On Thu, 3 Apr 2014, homepc wrote:

I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the kitchen
table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands occasionally goes
berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency tuning window. After a
bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast tuning from one end of the dial
to the other several times, resolves the problem for a short while. This
problem aside, it's been a great little radio.

I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt to
open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it wouldn't
be worth the repair cost.

So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio Shack )
has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read reviews crucifying
the model and others praising it's merits for a radio in that price range. A
similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge also has both very bad and good
reviews.

There was a model in the same form, I guess the GS350, that had analogue
tuning. Fussy as analog ever was, and I seem to recall talk of too fast
tuning, and it drifted. I seem to recall it was also single conversion
with a low IF, so image rejection wasn't great.

I haven't seen a clear description of how the 450 differs. It might just
be cosmetic, or it might actually have improved what was wrong.

The problem is, if you look at the reviews at The Source, many may sound
great, but then it turns out people have no experience with other
shortwave radios. Or the people may not even be using it for shortwave,
just a radio a bit more expensive than others, so the reviews are good for
local needs.

In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the Grundig
GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other models? Any
suggestions?


The extra warranty won't mean a thing if the radio itself isn't that
great. It looks physically good, but you need to look deeper.

I was tempted to buy one last year, because they were having a refurbished
sale and it was down around $50 at the time, but I missed that chance, the
stock gone before I got around to it. I was imply curious, and with a
gift card hanging around, it was tempting.

The problem is, The Source has pretty much dropped shortwave radios now.
So the most easy to access source is very limited. As the models
they carried were discontinued, they stopped adding newer radios.

There are companies in Canada that sell shortwave and amateur radio
equipment, and they are bound to have a better selection. I don't have
names handy, but I think one is in BC, and another in Toronto.

While I haven't seen any in a few years, I've accumulated quite a good
collection of shortwave radios from garage sales and rummage sales in the
past decade or so. I had never seen any until about 2007, when I found a
Grundig Satellite 500 at a rummage sale, and then kept finding them. Some
simply, like an old Radio Shack analog portable, or the Grundig mini 300,
but also a Grundig Satellite 700 for $2.00 at a Rotary Club sale, and a
SOny SW1S (the really small one) for ten dollars.

For a period I was seeing ads for shortwave radios in the local Craig's
List, but it's been a while there too, almost as if the old radios had all
come out of the closet already. Though someone is still trying to sell
their used GS350 or GS450 for $90, and keeps relisting it since clearly
nobody is buying at that price.

Michael

On Thursday, April 3, 2014 11:17:40 PM UTC-4, homepc wrote:
I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the

kitchen table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands

occasionally goes berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency

tuning window. After a bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast

tuning from one end of the dial to the other several times, resolves the

problem for a short while. This problem aside, it's been a great little

radio.



I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt

to open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it

wouldn't be worth the repair cost.



So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio

Shack ) has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read

reviews crucifying the model and others praising it's merits for a radio

in that price range. A similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge

also has both very bad and good reviews.



In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the

Grundig GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other

models? Any suggestions?

Take a look at Universal Radio website. They have better receivers, new and used.

Many options exist, but my current recommendation is clearly the Tecsun PL-660.
USB/LSB/Sync all work great. Very sensitive. The Grundig G3 is good, but gone through five different radios due to sync malfunctions. The Grundig G5 (Eton E5)doesn't have sync, but is still a greatt radio. I would've included the Sony 7600GR, but two in a row have had the USB clarifier go bad.

Mike
KK4TSX









On Thursday, April 3, 2014 11:17:40 PM UTC-4, homepc wrote:
I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the

kitchen table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands

occasionally goes berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency

tuning window. After a bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast

tuning from one end of the dial to the other several times, resolves the

problem for a short while. This problem aside, it's been a great little

radio.



I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt

to open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it

wouldn't be worth the repair cost.



So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio

Shack ) has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read

reviews crucifying the model and others praising it's merits for a radio

in that price range. A similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge

also has both very bad and good reviews.



In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the

Grundig GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other

models? Any suggestions?

On Thu, 03 Apr 2014 22:17:40 -0500, homepc wrote:

I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the
kitchen table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands
occasionally goes berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency
tuning window. After a bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast
tuning from one end of the dial to the other several times, resolves the
problem for a short while. This problem aside, it's been a great little
radio.

I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt
to open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it
wouldn't be worth the repair cost.

So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio
Shack ) has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read
reviews crucifying the model and others praising it's merits for a radio
in that price range. A similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge
also has both very bad and good reviews.

In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the
Grundig GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other
models? Any suggestions?

Check CCrane. They are having a big sale. The CCrane SW/AM/FM is going
for a good price. It has built-in dual dipoles for AM. It is like the
Redsun 2100.

On 08/04/2014 4:58 PM, sctvguy1 wrote:
On Thu, 03 Apr 2014 22:17:40 -0500, homepc wrote:

I have a Tecsun BCL 3000 that I use mainly for AM DX listening at the
kitchen table. For the past 6 months the tuner for AM and SW bands
occasionally goes berserk displaying numbers at random in the frequency
tuning window. After a bit of playing with the tuner, usually fast
tuning from one end of the dial to the other several times, resolves the
problem for a short while. This problem aside, it's been a great little
radio.

I am not experienced at fixing things like this so I won't even attempt
to open the case. I called a local radio shop and they advised that it
wouldn't be worth the repair cost.

So I'm looking for a fair replacement. The Source ( Canadian Radio
Shack ) has a Grundig GS450DL radio onsale for $79.99. I've read
reviews crucifying the model and others praising it's merits for a radio
in that price range. A similar model sold bearing the C Crain badge
also has both very bad and good reviews.

In view that I can get a 3 year warranty for $20 extra, would the
Grundig GS450Dl be a wise purchase, so should I be looking at other
models? Any suggestions?

Check CCrane. They are having a big sale. The CCrane SW/AM/FM is going
for a good price. It has built-in dual dipoles for AM. It is like the
Redsun 2100.



I ended up getting a Grundig S450DlX. My decision was based upon being
able to purchase the radio locally vs mail order from another country.
I got a 3 year extended warranty for $20 extra that affords me a direct
exchange if something goes wrong with the radio. The total cost was $99
plus taxes.

The new radio performs a bit better and is easier to use than the Tecsun
BCL3000. One thing though, my old Tecsun had a smaller speaker that
sounded much clearer than the larger speaker in the new Grundig radio.
Also, the tuning knob on the Grundig is slightly crooked, but it seems
to work just fine. AM DX works very well along with my PK AM loop antenna.