Sangean ATS-909 All Band Digital Shortwave World Band Receiver Still a really good SW radio – James P. Thompson – Farmington, Connecticut USA
I have over five years … maybe 10 … had, and I enjoy it every day. Easy to tune between FM, MW and SW and easy to use. Sound quality deteriorates after several years, and I replaced the speakers with a more modern Mylar diaphragm with a larger magnet – much improved. When I travel, I take a long wire out the window and listen to SW. The Sleep mode is great – fall asleep listening to the world. Now I come from the U.S. to Singapore and look forward to listening to DX there on my ATS-909.
I enjoyed SW Radio for many years since my high school day. One of the first things bought one for me when I started working to buy a Crafter Halli S-108-recipient. This lasted for many years and began to problems so I do not to pursue my hobby until a few years ago, when I retired. I have th Grundig Satellite 800 and have enjoyed it very, very much, but it is not very portable. I have it on a desk in a spare bedroom near a window and receiving next to the whip is amazing. IAdd one day to plan an outdoor antenna but it's so good I can not, who knows. In any case, my wife, tired of me will remain locked in my room, so I thought I'd have a portable dowstairs and so we could be together. I have a lot of research and narrowed to the Sangean ATS90, the Sony ICF-7600GR, Grundig G5 and the Grundig G4000A. I have all the many reviews on all these radios and could not decide what was for me. I decided to order them all and test themselves.Although it is not very scientific, I felt the best way for me to decide how well each was performed in order to test it against my Sateli 800 so I went through all the sw bands on the 800 and tune in stations, including weak and strong basically all what was going and then try to tune it to each of the portables. When I was finished, it was easy to remove models. Here are my results.
Easily the worst thing was the radio Sony ICF-7600GR. Although this radio had more praise as one of theothers, for me it was just awful. No matter what the signal was given, there was always noise and hiss, unless it was a very strong signal. It was very, very hard trying to hear anything without getting tired and angry because of the noise. Sensitivity was not very good at all and the sync detection was almost non-existent asthenic not pick up a lot of Sony, which picked up the SA 800. If I have a random wire antenna, it helped pick more signals, but unfortunately the sound was too muchput up with.
Won second place and a bond between the Grundig G5 & Grundig G4000A with a slight nod goes to the G4000A. Both radios moved in most of the stronger signals that the SA 800 was not as strong, but clear and audible. The speaker on the 4000A was better than the G5, but both very good radios.
First place went to the Sangean ATS 909th This is an excellent radio. A little larger than the others, but so much better. What I picked up the SA800 I could get the 909 to. The sensitivity was excellent selectivity was also very good. The sound was great. The radio was very easy and a joy to use. So many bells & Whisler. Adding a random wire increased the signal strength, but it was not really necessary, everything came through loud and clear. As I said, does not seem very scientific, but it works for me and I hope it helps you out there.
All in all, I am very happy with my 909th It costs a little more than the otherRadios but I think it was worth it.
GRrg Sangean: ATS-909 Sangean Electronics is one of the world’s oldest and largest manufacturers of multi-band, portable and pocket sized entertainment centers. Established in 1974, the name Sangean is recognized throughout the world for its innovative design, unparalleled performance and matchless quality. All Sangean products are high quality, portable and aesthetically appealing with the kind of feel and performance that has made Sangean the fastest growing radio line in the market today.PRODUCT FEATURES: AM/FM stereo/SW; Tone control; Continuous tuning through all bands; Auto memory preset system; Auto memory scan; Human wake system; Illuminated display; Auto/manual search; Dual time display /12/24 hour; Adjustable sleep timer; Snooze control; 45 memory presets; Tone control. Easy to use, quick to get started, but complex enough for the shortwave radio aficionado, the compact Sangean ATS-909 is a terrific travel radio adaptable for use anywhere in the world, receiving FM/MW, long-wave, and shortwave signals.
You can set radio frequencies using five methods, including automatically or manually through a keypad or rotary dialing. The digital clock can be fixed to local and world times and provides both an alarm and a sleep timer. You can set the radio so you can fall asleep to music and later be awakened with news, music, or the buzzing alarm. You can also set three different wake-up times, each to a different frequency.
This substantial and attractively designed unit also includes a long, retractable antenna for FM/SW and an internal antenna for good reception on medium- and long-wave bands. Tuning can be accomplished in a variety of ways; auto-tune, which scans all radio frequencies and presets your stations to the strongest signals; simple direct tuning to the desired frequency; or manual tuning with the rotary knob. The rotary tuning is quick, direct, and to us, the most effective method for finding and refining reception. An impressive internal memory holds up to 306 radio frequencies, saving you time searching.
The LCD displays the current station, frequency, local time, memory location, and the status of the alarms and all other functions. The illuminated display window can also be switched on for viewing in the dark. A small stand on the back opens to permit the radio to sit on a tabletop at the perfect angle for operation, and Sangean has included a handy list of the best times for good reception on various frequencies around the world. The carrying pouch with Velcro closures neatly fits the ATS-909 and the slim shortwave handbook, though unfortunately not the included earphones, portable shortwave reel antenna, or AC adapter. Powered by four AA batteries or the multivoltage AC adapter, the unit comes with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. –David Greenberger
Pros:
- Multiple tuning methods
- Internal memory of 306 presets
- Includes AC adapter and external SW antenna
Cons:
- All the gear doesn’t fit in the case
- Weighs nearly 2 pounds
- An intimidating number of functions for the novice
- Sangean ANT-60 Short Wave Antenna
- Passport to World Band Radio, 2009 Edition
- Passport to World Band Radio, 2008 Edition
- World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH) 2010: The Directory of Global Broadcasting
- Kaito AN-03L – Radio antenna
