Mini

Before I start, let me begin by saying that no radio is perfect. This is because 1. no single receiver can be good at EVERYTHING and 2 different people like different things. Also, let's consider the price: 38 dollars. Don't expect it to perform like a $100 plus communications grade receiver. Now, that having been said, for what this is, it is a very good radio. The speaker is decent, the size is about that of an old iPod (about the same thickness too), and considering how big it is, it catches a lot. Midwave mode I haven't had much of a chance to play around with yet, but considering the size of it, I can't imagine the ferrite bar in it is very big so, I'm not expecting much. I'll post more on this at another time. I got this primarily for shortwave reception and for FM when I'm at work or just on vacation. On in both settings, it works well. There is a gap between SW1 and SW2 settings (SW1=5.9-10MHz and SW2=11.65-18MHz), but I don't know of any shortwave stations that broadcast on this that aren't SSB and since this radio doesn't have an SSB mode, I'm not even going to sweat it. On the day I got this, I hooked it up via a clip to a Sangean ANT-20 Reel and pitted it against my Sangean ATS 909x on a Sony AN-LP1 Active loop antenna. The Sangean won out, but again, 100 dollar plus receiver. I tested it on several stations on shortwave both within the US (13845 KHz WCCR and WBCQ 7490KHz) and a few far outside the US (TRT 9830 KHz, Radio Cairo 9965 KHz) and one just outside the US but that comes in pretty clear usually (RHC 6000 KHz). On the reel, it caught everything and the only trouble it had was with Radio Cairo which came in with no interference, but the speech was garbled (think of the adults in a charlie brown cartoon). Considering though that I need an active loop antenna to get this station to come through clearly on the 909, I am not going to sweat this issue. FM it got all but one local station I tried (which is also the one broadcasting from farthest away), but again, small receiver with small antenna. So conclusion is if you are going to listen to regular shortwave stations, this will be OK for most. That said, if you are looking for lower powered stations like Radio Tirana out of Albania or pirate stations around the 40 meter band, this is not the unit to use. Now, all this positive stuff being said, I have a few complaints about this radio: 1. when you remove the batteries, the clock resets immediately. 2. the back light goes out quickly and you cannot read the display without it. Maybe this isn't an issue if you get the AC adapter? 3. battery cover is not connected to the radio so there is a chance you can loose it. 4. The gap between shortwave modes mentioned above 5. No preset memory on any bands 6. No battery meter. The manual says "If the sound becomes low or distorted, replace with new batteries". considering that I've seen other radios of this size and price that had at least a little LED to give you an idea of battery life, this is a letdown. 7. The bag that it comes with while of good quality, does not have a belt loop for carrying it on your person. Easy to fix, but just thought I'd mention it. So in short, if you are just looking for a digital display/tuning radio that fits in your pocket for travel or emergencies, this is a pretty good deal. If you are trying to DX or pick up pirate stations, this is probably not what you are looking for. I'd certainly buy it again knowing what I know now, but others who want more out of a travel sized and are willing to pay a little more and can accept something bigger than an iPod, consider a Tecsun PL-380. Hope this helps.

I recently bought this to replace my C Crane Pocket Radio that I gave to my son when he bought his house. Among my many radios this was his favourite and was well suited to his active lifestyle and interest in baseball and other sports. The Eton Mini has filled in for it pretty well and this is impressive because it costs about half as much as the CC Pocket. The Mini doesn't quite match it on distant AM or FM reception but it does receive AM dx at night quite well. To give an indication of its capabilities, I live about 30 miles southeast of Columbus Ohio and regularly listen to AM 740 Toronto Canada,1120 KMOX St Louis Mo. 1020 KDKA Pittsburgh and others at night. My favourite radio station,700 WLW Cinncinnati Ohio comes in clearly at ALL hours day or night. Thats 125 miles from my location. With it's rod antenna extended it pulls in all the FM stations I'm accustomed to listening to. Audio quality on FM is nothing to brag about when using the internal speaker but is as good as one could reasonably expect given the radios small size. When listening through good quality ear buds or headphones I'd have to rate it as VERY good. Short wave reception is adequate, pulling in the stronger stations quite well such as Havana,Cuba. Haven't really had a chance to give it an extensive workout but so far in my limited testing , it's seems to be quite utile. It's no Drake R-8 but it should satisfy the casual s.w. listener. Construction is better than average, should hold up quite well with responsible usage. It's a very good looking radio,I like the look of Etons present offerings. I also have an Eton Traveller 111 Grundig Edition which looks very similar to the Mini. It's stellar performannce on the MW or AM band had much to do with my purchase of this radio. The Mini is somewhat spartan when it comes to extra features. It lacks signal and battery strength indiators on it's LCD display and has no memory input for oft listened to stations. This isn't a deal breaker for me but the lack of any memory may be of importance to some and thought I should mention it. Something else that I should also mention is this radio displays a rather unusual quirk when tuning in distant or low powered stations on the AM band. When first tuned to a weak station the volume level will be rather low. However, if you give it 15 or 30 seconds the volume will rise to more acceptable level. Apparently this is the nature of these units as several other reviewers have also pointed this out. Untill I read of this and experienced it myself I was dissapointed in it's performance and was considering returning it. I'm glad that I did'nt, this radio is a keeper, I reccomend it and I don't really miss my CC Pocket radio at all.

This is a wonderful little radio - but make sure you get the "Grundig Edition" (I got it by sheer luck and for a great price [$25] when I ordered a used one from Amazon) because the one shown here is NOT THE SAME. The "Grundig Edition" has different front labeling and shows "SCAN" above the Hour and Min buttons - and also shows "Grundig Edition" above the display. There is no dual time display format advertised and the format is 24 hour. You can keep the display lit permanently (High or Low) or OFF (after 30 seconds). This is a battery saving feature and I keep it in the default OFF position. If you forgot what station you're listening to, you can easily reactivate the display by pushing any button. There are actually 4 built-in presets because the last setting in each band is saved when you turn the radio off. When you turn it back on, the station you last listened to is tuned in. Also, the tuning wraps around when you get to the upper or lower limit of each band. FM reception and sound are best - AM not so great but major stations show up. Volume may have to be adjusted to match different signal strength in each band. I have 1 favorite FM station (classical music) and 1 favorite AM station.(traffic and news) and just these 2 presets serve me well. Haven't done much with SW yet but don't expect much. I'll be happy to find at least 1 station in each of the 2 SW bands (day and night). [I just bought an Oldie but Goodie Tecsun PL-600 for great FM,AM,SW and SSB reception and in-home use]. Make sure you get a manual with the Eton Mini radio because it contains lots of info which will be a pain to remember if you stop using it for a while. The small size, depth and light weight (true shirt pocket) make this a MUST HAVE radio for emergencies when there is no power and you want to get the latest news, wherever you are. I plan to carry it with me whenever I'm wearing a shirt with a pocket! The pouch is nice to protect it from accidents and dust. For my intended purpose, a GREAT little radio like no other I've seen! A battery status indicator would be nice to see in the next version of this radio. Still hunting around for an AC adapter with the right plug - not convinced I need one, though.. UPDATE: Couldn't find an AC adapter with the right plug size until I came across the Velleman multi-plug, adjustable (from 3v to 12v) voltage adapter, available at Amazon. I got it and it works with the Eton Mini! :) It will be a flexible AC adapter solution for many other devices!

Updating from my previous slagging off (below) The seek function is absolutely terrible, and that's what I was using to try to tune previously. Also the tuning wheel has horrific de-bouncing so you have to turn it very slowly or it will think that two clicks "up" are one "up" and one "down". Putting those nits aside, it's actually a fairly delightful little radio. If you don't use the tuning wheel at all and instead just use the seek up/down to increment through the band it works pretty well. I can't give it more than 3 stars, though... it's still got its issues. The antenna is still annoying. The location of the power button is still annoying. In order to make sure you don't turn it on/off erroneously you have to use the lock function. Basically, this is an excellent beta version. But I would rather keep it than return it. ____________________________________________________ Bad reception, feels very cheaply made... expected more for a $40 pocket radio. I'm in Boston and I can pick up 1 AM station. I have yet to receive a single SW station, even with an extended antenna attached. I have owned a Grundig field radio for several years and it's been superb, so this is definitely a letdown. Also the form factor is nice but the photo is misleading... the built-in antenna (that is basically useless) always sticks out from the top of the frame 4-5mm which isn't much but will always manage to catch on anything that isn't a radio signal. It would also be nice if that antenna would hinge. It doesn't, so you look like you're trying to divine water whenever you're using it.

I wanted to get a radio that had both AM/FM abilities, plus the SW abilities are an added bonus, and fun to sometimes play with, as I worked 3rd shift for the last 10 years of my 35 years plus of my career in a steel melting shop, for the investment casting facility. So I am often awake until the wee hours of the night. With the Short Wave abilities, even though that is not the radios main abilities, they do work, and provided I add a good quality set of head phones, I can pick out a few of the stations that I am normally used to working from many years ago, when I was more active in my hobby. Every single option that is included with the radio, from the automatic shut off, to the sensitivity, to the selectivity, and even the brightness of the dial, all work just exactly as described and as hoped for. I admit that I have not used the alarm function,since I use the alarm on my watch, if I have to get up early. I am retired, and so I only get up to take my wife or daughter to an appointment for a doctor, the dentist, etc. Or sometimes, as on Monday, out to breakfast and then shopping for a few necessary items for our house. I can only say, that this is a radio that is well worth the price for the features that you get. One thing to consider, is to pick up a power supply at the same time you buy the radio. The batteries tend to get eaten up, if you use it like I do, which is often for a long period of time. I have some NiCads, that are re-chargeable and so I just recharge them when they die. And since they are NiCads, they really tend to not leak, the way that even Alkaline batteries can leak. If you do buy this radio, I am sure that you will like it, but if you don't, you should be able to return it. But make sure that you really study the specs on this, and consider what you are going to use it for, before you order it. Don't waste your time, if you really need a much more expensive general coverage receiver. As always, Amazon, a great product, and an especially attractive price. Well done.

There are good and bad points to this radio. The batteries don't like to lie flat and tend to pop the cover off, and when they come loose, everything resets from the stations you had tuned. It seems to consume batteries with more frequency than other radios, not sure why, I only use it with headphones. Sound quality and tuning is good. My biggest quibble is with the button that locks the channels and prevents changing settings by accident. It works fine to lock the channels, but why not lock the volume too? I am often deafened when the volume dial is rubbed all the way up in my pocket, and given the placement of the dial it's almost impossible to put this anywhere while walking around that doesn't brush up against something. But this radio is miles above others that still have AM, with FM, the speaker, shortwave bands too. Well worth paying a little more than for a throwaway. I am revising this review - I can no longer recommend this radio - the FM is NOT STEREO!!! That is enough to drop my rating from 3 stars to 1. The battery issue is a continuing concern. Be prepared to carry rubber bands to hold the battery cover in place. The springs cause the batteries to pop out and make the cover loose. Another major problem - yes there is a button to keep the channel from changing, or othe settings from changing when you don't wnat them to - EXCEPT FOR THE VOLUME!!! The volume wheel is on the side of the radio, so if you put it in your pocket, the volume will disappear OR DEAFEN YOU, depending on which way the wheel turns when it brushes against your fabric. Volume should be locked where you want it to be, not randomly changed with any movement of the radio. If the volume wheeel were on the top of the unit you could adjust it easily without removing it from your pocket. You shouldn't have to fiddle with it just to put it in your pocket!

I own the Tecsun PL660 and the 360. I bught the Mini Eton for travel in Europe. The size is perfect and the use is easy. The lock key is a nice addition also the clock and alarm function. The FM is OK and the SW is great for the size. The amazon site describe the charger as 6v, but is marked 3v in the radio. The use is simple: to adjust the time, simply press the time button together with the min/hr buttons. The same for the alarm. The min button scan to down and the hr to up. The first days everything was OK but two days ago, something weird behaviour start. I turn the radio on, but after 15 min, the radio turn off and then is not possible to turn on again (see video) I don't know if this is a bug or if other users have the same issue. I sent an email to the company and will update this post with their answer. UPDATE: the customer service answered my email indicating that this was a sign of drained batteries. After replaced the batteries everything was normal, so I updated my review and added an extra star for the great customer service

The fact that is looks like a sleek smartphone really drew me to this radio. Its a real looker and it does well for the price. For the price, its worth it. I have very expensive shortwave radios, bu this it a good starter, travel radio that gives you good sounding stereo FM and decent reception on SW and AM bands. The few drawbacks are not a big deal, there is a very loud click sound if your headphones are connected while you turn the power off and on. There are no station presets for different stations, so it scans and stops at every strong signal. So if you want to go from 88.1 to 104.4 it will take a while. The speaker quality is good for a tiny flat micro speaker, clear and acceptable frequency response. The clock is a little confusing, you can change the brightness and lock the buttons, which you will want to do if you want to maximize battery life while its off. These are the things that give the radio its personality, which is OK and part of the fun with portable radios. If you use a roll-up Short Wave antenna, like the Sangean ANT-60 Short Wave Antenna, you should get decent reception on the SW bands. The telescoping antenna is a little flimsy, so you have to really be careful when its fully extended.

Funktioniert, der Empfang ist gut und die Bedienung einfach. Aber es ist kein RDS vorhanden !!! Es liegt auch nicht am Sender, denn wir haben es paralell mit anderen RDS Radios getestet. Es ist einfach nicht vorhanden.

Superb quality of sound very easy to use stereo is also highlighted on screen with some frequencies on fm

Dentro de las reseñas, vi que algunas personas se quejaban de que no duraban las pilas, este radio tiene varios ajustes para que el display se apague una vez sintonizada la estación, ademas de que se puede ajustar la intensidad del mismo y conseguir un ahorro en el consumo de energía de las pilas. Con baterías recargables tiene buen rendimiento y con las alcalinas dura mucho mas.

EL PRODUCTO ESTA BIEN POR EL TAMAÑO QUE TIENE PERO LO DEL RDS NO ES CIERTO NO TIENE RDS

Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, this radio has FM, AM and two shortwave bands. In the places I have used it, the reception is excellent. I usually use ear buds, but it does have a quite useful speaker, of course not as powerful as larger sets. It uses two AA cells.