Grace Mondo - Wifi Radio

[DaveIN]

For those who use Wifi radio to monitor scanner feeds, there is a new Wifi radio available from Grace Digital called the Mondo. It's a lot like the Logitech Squeezebox, but a little more advanced in some respects, but not programmer friendly for new apps. It works well, sounds good, and looks great. A battery pack is also available for portable use, just like the Squeezebox. The Mondo also accepts USB input that can double as an Ethernet connection via an optional adapter, so you could just link it directly to a PC if you wanted to just play the feed through the radio. It has stereo red/white RCA outputs, and a 1/8" stereo jack, with Mono or Stereo settings via the menu. The Squeezebox includes the Ethernet connection, but only a 1/8" audio input/output port, and headphone jack.

Grace Digital has a Reciva page that allows you to input the streams you wish to listen to. You can also save them to one of ten presets on the front of the radio for easy access from the front panel near the speaker. There are ten presets available, five direct and five from a shift key.

To copy the stream, you just browse to the RR live feed of interest, select the links, select the drop down menu for Player Selection, select Windows Media Player, then right click on the speaker and copy the link. Then once you have registered your Reciva account and created an entry in the My streams folder, you can copy the link into the folder and save it. It can take up to 48 hours for the link to show up, but mine were almost instantly added to the list.

I was able to input my favorite Radioreference and ATCLive streams in the web page before the radio arrived, and they were available once I updated the radio firmware from the radio internet connection.

Setup was easy and the radio found my Wifi connection quickly. Initial setup out of the box was about ten minutes.

My only wish is that it had support for apps, like the excellent ScannerBox app. available on the Squeezebox.

Happy Holiday Scanning everyone!

 

[mshadwick]

Dave,
How are you liking the Mondo? I have been looking at it and the Squeezebox, deciding which to purchase. Does the Mono display feed tags?

Mark

 

[DaveIN]

The Mondo will display some tags, but it's feed display format dependent.

I like the Mondo for the features and especially the display, but the Squeezebox Radio with the ScannerBox plugin app. is the way to go.

Keep in mind you have to run the Logitech Media Server (free) software installed on a PC in order for the app to install to the radio. And the App. will also want your Radioreference login information to access the feeds.

The Mondo is nearly as easy to add feeds via the Reciva web service, but does not include ready access to all the feeds that Radioreference has in the ScannerBox app. has. However, many of the major metro areas already have feeds online that you can just search for and listen to including Air traffic control centers or NOAA weather stations.

So, if I had to choose, it would be the Squeezebox Radio for the feed flexibility.

 

[joefil]

Experience with Grace Bravado x?

Dave... Have you heard about similar experiences with the Grace Bravado X? I am having a lot of issues with tring to monitor RR feeds

 

[DaveIN]

No, I don't know anything about it. I see Logitec UE has a new Mondo copy called the Smart Radio however. :twisted:

 

[schtaaf]

Grace and world wide support

I just bought a Grace Mondo internet radio and it plays great.

It supports the Norwegian Language, the 24 hour clock, the Centrigrades - everything is great. What it does not support however, are the European time zones! When I mention this to the Grace support, they just tell me they don't sell the radio outside the US so there is no need for them to support other time zones.

I think this is something that is easily fixed With a software Upgrade, but I get no answer from Grace.

 

[Rob1956]

I like my Mondo as well, except for one thing. The radio diverting to the clock when it's off is great, but I find it too bright! When it's off "standby" I have it programmed to the lowest Level 1. But it still lights up my whole bedroom, and I can see the light thru my closed eyelids. I contacted Grace Digital's customer service asking them to consider a firmware update to make Level 1 about 50% dimmer. The rep said she'd pass it on. I might get a square of static cling neutral density filter or something like that to dim it for now.