scanernutt said:
Nobody has mentioned the G5! Any reason NOT to get it if you are just looking for a good portable perhaps?
Manny
The G5 and the E5 are the same thing. Eaton is branding more units as Grundigs in the US now.
It is a good reciever with everything most people are looking for in terms of quality, usability, size, and value. It is intuitive and feels nice. Lets just do a quick rundown of the usual suspects. I just did this when I bought my portable SW a month ago.
KA1103/DE1103: Same "guts" as the G5, but lacking the intuitive control of the G5. Controls on the 1103 are counter-intuitive. Cheaper than the G5/E5 by $50-60. Lacks the really nice rubberized finish of the G5/E5. Cannot be bought retail like G5/E5, so factor in s&h. Comes with rechargabe batteries (no-name quality rechargeables) and an RF-noisy AC adaptor.
ICF-7600GR: Has synch detector circuit, seperate USB/LSB (really nice if you want to listen to ham/cw). More intuitive than 1103, slightly less intuitive than E5/G5. (no tune dial, but you get used to it fast). Does not light up screen and keys like the E5/G5. Proven record of quality and high degree of engineering. still built in japan. $20-30 more than the G5/E5. No batteries included (who cares, it runs forever on good brand AA cells or rechargeables) No AC adaptor in the box (who cares, they all make tons of RF noise and again it runs forever on batts) Not likely to find one retail, but you may. ( They are in retail channels unlike the 1103.)
I say go for the G5/E5. It is a great radio. You would have had to pay $300 for those features 10 years ago. I got the 7600gr because I'm a picky bastard. But if you could jam a 7600GR into a e5/G5 case with the accessories of the 1103, i'd pay $300+ for it.