[MartinB]

I'm looking for a portable tuner or portable shortwave tuner. I've been looking at the Sangean ATS-909 shortwave radio and WR-2 table top radio. Now a days there are tons of portable and tabletop tuners out there and many seem to have really good performance too. How would these compare to a dedicated stand alone tuner?

 

[Ori]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinB /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm looking for a portable tuner or portable shortwave tuner. I've been looking at the Sangean ATS-909 shortwave radio and WR-2 table top radio. Now a days there are tons of portable and tabletop tuners out there and many seem to have really good performance too. How would these compare to a dedicated stand alone tuner?

If your main interest is shortwave reception, then I wouldn't pick the Sangean products. My experience with the ATS-808 has not been a happy one at all. These radios suffer from digital noise, lack of selectivity and poor image rejection. In addition, they overload very easily, so connecting an external antenna for DX reception is a futile exercise.
There are many decent tabletop receivers which offer true "communications receiver" capabilities. The newer units may have many means to reduce noise, and that really helps in reducing listening fatigue.
I'd refer to the many online lists or "Passport to world band radio" book for more information. There are many decent used receivers within your price range, such as Icom R71A or Kenwood R-2000. The newer units with DSP and all the bells and whistles are well above the $250 mark, but they represent a much better investment if you're serious about that hobby.

 

[MartinB]

Thanks Ori! Not what I've heard about Sangean, but I'm thankful for all the advice I can get.