Eton Elite Executive Shortwave Radio (Open Box)

Before I say anything further, I am a licensed ham radio enthusiast for more than 50 years, I am an professional engineer who has worked on and designed telecommunications systems, an instrument rated private pilot who knows what aviation radios should sound like, and I've been a shortwave radio enthusiast for most of my life. So my perspective may be viewed as demanding by some. This review is being written after testing this radio against the other three while listening into the evening in my back yard, near a fire pit. Interference from home appliances is minimal back there. I'm using similar antennas (a 20' wire strung across the ground). And I'm trying to be even handed here without being excessively technical. First, know that the battery life is okay if you're using the radio. However, when you leave it on the shelf for a few weeks, don't expect full capacity. It will drain a fresh set of AA batteries in less than three months of very little use. So if you're using this for travel, be sure to store it without batteries. I suggest purchasing some rechargeable batteries such as Eneloop AA batteries for regular use. As a side note: the wall wart for powering this radio looks like a solid linear supply, so you can run this radio when powered from the wall (in the US). Second, the display frankly isn't the best. From photographs and videos of others, I suspect some of these radios have better polarized bezels than others. For me, it's readable, but there are better displays out there. Third: size and form factor: This thing is pretty small. It will easily go in a suitcase or backpack. It is well built. The buttons are pretty good, though I can't say much for how the microcontroller handles the single and long press features. Overall, It feels solid. At this price (under $100 US shipped) it isn't a bad purchase. If it is destroyed, I won't cry about the money. However, I have owned three other such radios in this price and form factor, and frankly, this one doesn't perform as well as most. I have also used many high end ham radio receivers and transceivers, so my expectations may be high. The audio quality is mediocre. The speaker can sound good for what it is, but the IF DSP processing sounds watery. Sensitivity is slightly better than what you might hear with a simple pocket radio on Medium Wave, but it's nowhere near as good as any of the other radios in this form factor or class, (I couldn't find any stations to test with on Long Wave). Shortwave reception is reasonable but nothing to get excited about. If you use this radio on medium wave, bring a passive tuned loop, such as the AN-200 with you. Otherwise, you won't hear much on AM. The Synchronous AM feature is a waste of effort. Use SSB and tune in manually. It won't maintain good carrier lock in adverse conditions. (By comparison, the Tecsun PL-680 does a far better job). My suggestion in stead is to use the SSB mode and zero beat on the carrier. It will sound better. As for Airband functionality, it works. Again, sensitivity leaves a bit to be desired, but there are worse. The squelch feature is a signal strength squelch. Some people don't mind it, but I like the squelch on the Sangean ATS 909X2. In fairness the Sangean radio is over three times the price. For HF Ham radio reception it's not awful, but its sensitivity is limited. Selectivity is okay. I can copy stronger stations and read W1AW bulletins in Morse Code, but frankly, all my other radios perform better. Overall, I give it three stars. You could buy A Tecsun PL 680 for nearly the same money, have a radio with a good synchronous AM detector, a better display (though it doesn't have RDS), and much better sensitivity. However, if small size, good form factor, and acceptable sideband performance are criteria, it's okay for the money. It will be going with me when I go camping.