Cheap and Cheerful World Band Radio Contest

Round Two

At the end of Round One, here are the standings so far:

1. The Sangean SG-622 is in first place as the Best Cheap and Cheerful analog radio tested.
2. The Grundig FR200 was only narrowly edged out leaving it in second place.
3. Third place (and Best Buy status) had been claimed by the Grundig Mini World 100 PE -- the smallest of the bunch, which has become my favourite bedside listening radio when connected to a C. Crane 'SoftSpeaker' pillow speaker ($19.95 USD / $29.95 CDN at www.ccrane.com>.
4. Fourth place went to the Grundig Traveller II PE, which suffered from a French language AM station slopping over every band.
5. In fifth place is the Technosonic Megasound MT-500.
6. Finally, sixth place goes to the Megasound MT-300. Neither of these last two radios performed well enough to justify further consideration.

After the dust had settled, and the various companies kind enough to supply samples had digested the results, things began to happen. Specifically, the tolerant people at The Shortwave Store www.shortwavestore.com, who have aided the Radio Addict immensely (and supported my vice) by supplying whatever samples I asked for, let me know about a new crop of candidates for Round Two. As well, they sent me a second Traveller II PE, so that I could see whether the AM overload problem reported in Round One was unique to the radio tested, or a problem across this product line.

Okay: that's enough preamble. Onto the next competitors in Round Two. After a brief description, we'll put them up against Round One's Top Four. (The MT-500 and MT-300, given their disappointing first round performance, were exempted from the second round of test.)

Round Two Contestants

In addition to the Sangean SG622, the Grundig FR200, the Grundig Mini World 100 PE, and the two Grundig Traveller II PEs, here are the three new Round Two competitors, in alphabetical order. As before, all have extendable whip antennas, and the ability to connect mini-plug headsets.

The Grundig Yacht Boy YB205 radio is a sleek black multi-bander that reminds me of the classic portables of years gone by. A point of interest: this radio is not listed in the North American Grundig catalog www.grundigradio.com, because it is part of the Grundig European lineup. However, I did find it listed in Kaito/Kaiwa's lineup at www.kaitousa.com The YB205 comes with AM, FM, LW, and 9 SW bands (in MHz): 3.9-4.0; 5.9-6.2; 7.1-7.5; 9.5-9.99; 11.6-12.05; 13.6-13.8; 15.1-15.6; 17.5-17.9; and 21.4-21.85. This bandspread concerns me a bit, because it misses 5.0, 10.0 and 15.0 MHz; home of the indispensable U.S. time station WWV. C$49.95 at www.shortwavestore.com; that's about US$33.30.

The Kaiwa KA-818 is a copy of the discontinued Grundig G4 Executive Traveller, and a near copy of the Mini World 100PE, save that the Ka-818 has a digital display connected to its analog tuning system. The reason for the similarity is that all were or are made by Tecsun www.tecsun.com.cn. The difference between the G4 and the KA-818 is finish. The KA-818 has an olive-green plastic finish which is inferior to the G4/Mini World. Frequency-wise, the KA-818 overs AM and FM, plus the following SW bandwidths: 5.9-6.4 MHz; 7-7.5; 9.5-10; 11.6-12.1; 15-15.6; and 17.5-18.3 MHz. C$46.95/US$29.95 at www.shortwavestore.com.

The Kaiwa KA-989 is, without a doubt, the smallest of the Round Two newcomers. At first glance, it appears to be a Mini World simply configured to work on its side. However, the KA-989 is actually a bit smaller and thinner than the Mini World, and has a shorter antenna. The location of the antenna makes balancing the set a bit difficult; it also limits the angles to which the antenna can be swivelled. The tuning dial is so small and recessed that tuning is difficult; it makes the Mini World's tuning dial wheel look generous in comparison. The KA-989 covers AM (only to 1600) and FM, plus seven SW bands: 5.9-6.25 MHz; 7.05-7.5; 9.5-9.95 (again skipping WWV at 10 MHz); 11.65-12.1; 15-15.6 (hurray; I can get WWV on this band!); 17.5-18.15; and 21.25-22.1 MHz. C$34.95 (estimated US$23.30) at www.shortwavestore.com.

The Test

The date was Sunday, March 30, 2003. Time: 1256 UTC; 7:56 a.m. local time. Propagation conditions were reasonably good, with only minor reported solar activity affecting the ionosphere. Location: Ottawa, Canada.

This time I started with something a bit more ambitious: Radio Australia on 9580 kHz, via a 100 kW RA transmitter based in Shepparton, Victoria. However, propagation problems soon led me to switch to the BBC on 15190 kHz as a more stable test signal. According to Passport to World Band Radio, this is from the BBC's Antigua site in the Caribbean, using a 125 kW transmitter. As before, the reception location is Ottawa, Canada.

Ahem; drum roll please...

First Place: Sangean SG-622

Once again, the Sangean SG-622 squeaked past the Grundig FR200. The SG-622 received Radio Australia with an SIO (Strength-Interference-Overall) signal rating of 444. The audio suffered from some slight fading and whine, but overall it was quite listenable, and easy to tune thanks to the SG-622's decent selectivity (channel separation) and sensitivity. Meanwhile, BBC on 15150 kHz was a totally solid 555: I could even receive it with the antenna fully retracted.

Second Place: Grundig FR200

Once again, the Grundig FR200 performed well in this test. Given the repcetion problems I mentioned with Radio Australia, I tested the FR200 on BBC at 15190 kHz. I'd rate the SIO as 544; the FR200's less generous selectivity -- even with its useful fine tuning dial, this set requires a sensitive hand -- made nailing the BBC slightly more difficult. As well, the FR200's very rough analog scale showed this frequency as being 14.8 Mhz, rather than 15.190 (15190 kHz). I can forgive this readily in a Cheap and Cheerful radio, but it's still a factor in judging the set, nonetheless.

Third Place: Grundig Mini World 100 PE

Like the FR200, the low cost Mini World made an impressive showing. BBC on 15190 kHz was solid with an SIO of 555, with the whip antenna extended. This didn't surprise me; I used the Mini World extensively during the recent Iraq war, and found its performance to be both rock solid and listenable. A fine radio, and still the Best Buy Cheap and Cheerful radio after two rounds of competition.

Fourth Place: Kaiwa KA-818

Finally, a showing by one of the newcomers. The Kaiwa KA-818 -- the G4 clone -- did manage to pull in Radio Australia with an SIO of 333. The signal was suffering from some slopover from an AM station on 1310 kHz; apparently I live in an area where slop is a problem. After a few minutes 1310 faded out,and Radio Australia's signal became stable, albeit with some hiss. Meanwhile, BBC on 15190 kHZ was quite solid, with an SIO of 444. Again, I noticed slop from 1310 on unoccupied frequencies. As well, the KA-818's frequency display was a bit imprecise; likely because it's connected to an analog tuning system

Fifth Place: Kaiwa KA-989

Given its ultra-small size, I was intrigued to see how the Kaiwa KA-989 performed. As it turned out, this receiver picked up the BBC on 15190 with an SIO of 444. The sound wasn't bad for its size; however, the KA-989's tiny tuning dial was difficult to deal with. The shorter antenna was also a minus, but it does swivel to some extent, which is more than you can say for the up-and-down-or-nothing antennas supplied with the Mini World and KA-818. If you've got the cash, I would buy one. This is a fun radio to play with.

Sixth Place: Grundig Yacht Boy YB205

The Yacht Boy YB205 was a bit of a puzzler. Its SIO for BBC 15190 was 343. I found that, when compared to the other receivers (which I kept checking from time to time to watch out for signal changes), the YB205 was definitely less sensitive. However, this radio is definitely quite selective, and the tuning dial is smooth and solid. Had the YB205's sensitivity been better, I would compare the experience of using it as being akin to the Sangean SG-622. As it is, if you can get this radio for a good price and hook it up to a short external piece of wire, it could yet prove to be a good Cheap and Cheerful choice.

Seventh Place: The Grundig Traveller II PE (both of them)

For a radio addict, it was a rare privilege to test two supposed identical radios side by side. So were they the same? Yes: both in their pluses and minuses. Both Traveller IIs received the BBC on 15190 with an SIO of 232. The SIO improved to 333 when I handled the sets (I switched their positions relative to each other, in an effort to be precise). However, both radios suffered from AM slop; this time from 1310. Hearing Dean Martin (1310 is an oldies station in Ottawa) crooning over the BBC was surreal, to say the least. Again, both Travellers suffered from AM slop across the SW bands. Given that other radios have had this problem in my house, I have to wonder if the Traveller II would do better in another location. If you see one in a shop, be sure to give it a chance; maybe the AM slop problems I suffered won't exist. This said, the Traveller's poor sensitivity compared to the other sets I tested -- even without the slop -- place it firmly in seventh place.

The Final Cheap and Cheerful Rankings (for now)

1. Sangean SG-622 -- Best Overall Cheap and Cheerful Receiver
2. Grundig FR200 -- Best Alternative Powered Cheap and Cheerful Radio
3. Grundig Mini World 100 PE -- Best Buy
4. Kaiwa KA-818
5. Kaiwa KA-989
6. Grundig Yacht Boy YB205
7. Grundig Traveller II PE
8. Technosonic Megasound MT-500
9. Megasound MT-300

Conclusion: There Really Are Good Cheap and Cheerful Radios Out There!

If I've learned anything from these tests, and I think I've learned a lot, it's that you truly can buy decent Cheap and Cheerful radios. Given my experience, I would buy the SG-622, FR200, or Mini World 100 PE without any hesitation. They're not DX sets, but they are reliable performers for major SW stations like the BBC.

I've also learned that brand names count, even if their receivers are being made by third-party manufacturers. The Mini World 100 and KA-818 are basically the same radio, made by the same Chinese manufacturer. Yet the Mini World 100 is definitely better finished: a small detail, but something that makes a difference to the day-to-day enjoyment of using a radio. As my wife says, you never regret buying quality.

In the same vein, I've also learned that some companies have strange ideas about what is and isn't in the shortwave bands. A radio that doesn't cover at least one of WWV's time frequencies on 5, 10, or 15 MHz? No way; these stations are musts not only for setting clocks, but also because they provide a ready, reliable on-air source for determining the accuracy of an analog radio's tuning scale. If I can find WWV on 15 MHz, then I can start to figure my way through any radio's tuning scale, no matter how bad its calibration.

Finally, I throughly recommend the sheer fun of taking a bunch of different receivers and testing them side-by-side. Even if you just do this with your existing radios, it's a real learning experience. I didn't have to guess which radio performed better than others; I could tell. (Besides, any excuse to have a bunch of new toys -- er, radios -- in the house is good enough for me!)