THE BEST SHORTWAVE RADIOS! (TOP 5)

Best Shortwave Radios prices we reviewed in our video:
5. ►Sangean ATS-909X: amzn.to/3Hw8UPk
4. ►Sony ICF-SW7600GR: amzn.to/3B4jvyH
3. ►Eton Grundig Satellit 750: amzn.to/3lz8yhR
2. ►Kaito KA500: amzn.to/3GaAvEx
1. ►Tecsun PL880: amzn.to/3diDQFk
[paid links]
►Try a FREE Lesson to get your Ham Radio Licenses HERE: bit.ly/HamRadioPrep
►Get a $10 discount for any order you make from Radioddity from this link: radioddity.refr.cc/WhollyOutdoor
Check the detailed buyer guide and reviews of the top 5 best shortwave radios here: www.whollyoutdoor.com/best-sh...
We have done an extensive review of the best shortwave radios in the market.
In this video, we review the top 5 radios and discuss all their key features and what things to consider before you pick the best one for you.
Disclaimer:
Wholly Outdoor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , HamRadioPrep and Radioddity affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com (including international Amazon websites), Radioddity.com and hamradioprep.com. If you click any of the above links and buy a product on Amazon or any of the above websites we might get a commission. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Video Link: • THE BEST SHORTWAVE RAD...

[@WhollyOutdoor]

►Try a FREE Lesson to get your Ham Radio Licenses HERE: bit.ly/HamRadioPrep ►Get a $10 discount for any order you make on Radioddity from this link: radioddity.refr.cc/WhollyOutdoor

[@georgevavoulis4758]

I really miss RADIO SHACK in Canada 🇨🇦you always find these types of radios and anything for electronics and related hobbies now nothing all on "smartphones"

[@jamesslick4790]

Radio Shack started me on electronics at a very early age. I would know nothing about radio, electronics or computers if my mother would not have dragged me to the mall as a kid in the late 1960s, LOL. I worked at RS as a teen in the 1970s and became a radio "nut" and "early adopter" of the "home computer", In my case of course the TRS-80 Model I and later a Model III. The demise of Radio Shack was a cultural loss for North America.

[@marytervo5560]

Miss our Radio Shack to.

[@CherokeeTwilight]

Radio Shack was magic in the 80’s Texas Instrument, RC Cars and toys , radios, parts, etc…

[@roadkillraker]

​@@CherokeeTwilight I think the cheap toys and toy grade rc cars really crippled them back then.

[@cabaneencac5168]

I started on a Science Fair Globe Patrol kit to assemble myself , but if I had worked at RS at that time I would have destroyed all the trs-80s which was coming at the beginning of the 80s , knowing what would happen because as for me, if we would have stayed with transistors only we would not be served by machines today , no more than we would be fooled by chatgpt , no more than the sidewalks would be invaded by zoobies only looking at their screen. In short, I could perfectly live in an analog world.

[@MrBrian8749]

I have to agree. My XHDATA D808 and Radiwow D108 are my two favorite radios. My last two trips to America I took these. The radiwow is just fun, with excellent Airband. But my D808 has really proved itself as a DXer. Thanks for the video and you have a nice collection of radios. 73s

[@bh.76]

Definitely interested in the hand crank radios.

[@michaeledmonds3027]

I still use my Sony 2010 after having a tech update it's components and adding external antenna protection and a bright display led. For a smaller package, I just bought a C. Crane Skywave SSB2. If I really get serious, I use my ICOM 75 or ICOM 7410 bench radios with a powered mini-whip or an endfed wire antenna.

[@sidneycavalcant]

Vejo muitas críticas sobre o PL 880 e penso no Eton Elite Executive, mas não sei se é uma boa opção !

[@devarajans2881]

Of the three ,pl 880,Sony gr7600,and eton 750,*(aka)s2000.i love listening to s2000.i have all the three

[@andersnilsson6625]

If I am going to have the radio on board a sailboat in order to primarily receive weather faxes via SSB, which radio should I choose? And I don't have much experience with radios 😀😄

[@user-md7gu8ll7r]

❤

[@applepie2775]

QUESTION: Do any of those radios receive GMRS and/or CB? I only know that the Eton doesn't.

[@jamesslick4790]

Most of the better shortwave radios will go up to 30MHZ. CB is in the 27Mhz range. (Yep, Good old CB is shortwave) However GMRS (and FRS) is UHF FM. around 470 Mhz. My suggestion for someone wanting to listen to both CB and GMRS is to get a scanner, Particularly the Uniden Bearcat BC-125AT. It's one of the LOWER COST scanners while at the same time being the best for this use case. It receives CB, GMRS, FRS, MURS, Marine radio, Aircraft radio ,Railroad radio plus VHF and UHF "Ham" bands. It can be programmed with a PC with just a mini USB cable (No weird proprietary cable needed and the software is FREE!) For CB it actually does BETTER than my PL-880 (While costing me about HALF! LOL). Plus a scanner is more suited for such intermittent transmissions like CB or GMRS because the SCAN all the programmed frequencies rather than monitoring just one at a time. Currently I'm listening to two highly entertaining idiots arguing on CB Channel 6! (Commercial free entertainment, LOL.) Uniden says the BC125AT is $165.00, but you can get one on Amazon for $115.

[@w8lvradio]

I think the Tecsun PL-330 beats them all on size/weight/performance and stability. And only about $75 US. I hope that you might review one. All the Best! 73 DE W8LV Bill (and W8LV/VE3 prepandemic.)

[@markr.1984]

I agree, I have one of those little powerhouses.

[@klaaskay2685]

Eton Grundig Satellit 750 is the same as TECSUN S-2000?

[@alafenetre81]

Yes.

[@niranjanpaul2176]

A God send

[@ra7538]

Question How many of the featured radios are made in the USA

[@twohandsandaradio]

none.

[@Knife_Collector]

I started listening to shortwave back 25-30 years ago, but got out of it for a long time. Now it's my understanding, some brands removed some frequencies. If I want a unit that will pick up all shortwave signals, no matter the frequency, do I want a world or all band radio, or have I understood wrong about some frequencies being removes by some brands?

[@guardianobserver6593]

What signals? There is not much left.

[@almeisam]

The only time I've seen some frequencies removed are on low cost radios that only tune the shortwave broadcast bands. The vast majority of them tune the entire shortwave frequencies.

[@gloomyvale3671]

I have the Tecsun S2000 I use a moonraker desktop antenna, it’s a great radio, very well made and smooth tuning, some snobs sneer at this radio, this is more anger because they probably spent a fortune on another radio that the S2000 can do easily.

[@Canarywharfdebz]

I have the Tescun 2000. I would have liked more bandwidth options - still like it!

[@mikeg3810]

The 909x is old. I bought one back around 2002. It had SSB too.

[@guardianobserver6593]

Interesting the old radios had no memory to put channels but there was so much to hear and today's radios have 1000 memories but there is almost nothing decent to hear!

[@markr.1984]

True story...

[@devMashcom]

I own a PL-880 and it is a very nice radio. It was a gift to replace my PL-660 when it died. The 660 was much more sensitive and was, in my opinion, a better radio than the 880. The 880 just doesn’t pull in the signals like the 660 did.

[@vahanyazarian5582]

I bought an 880 from Universal Radio just for the nice tone and there still isn,t anything it,s class that sounds as good.

[@jordanclarke2996]

Sorry to tell you this but batterys are not measured in MHz mha is what you mean

[@almeisam]

The Eton 750 Elite is not that great of a radio. The wide bandwidth selection is way too wide, and narrow is a little too narrow. It does seem more sensitive on MW than the PL-880. SW and FM they seem about the same. I hadn't seen an actual BFO knob since the early 1990's (which I really suspect is a fine tuning knob on the Eton). It's leaps ahead of the old Radio Shack DX-300, whose bandwidth switch was really a tone control, would drift, and sensitivity would change depending on the kHz of the frequency being tuned (it had a MHz knob and kHz tuning knob).

[@lovetheblue6659]

Just to “clarify” (pun intended) - That’s a *real* Beat Frequency Oscillator on the Eton 750. And - in combination with the variable RF gain control - provides natural sounding SSB copy.

[@brainbeats7555]

Yep. Eton are made like toys....

[@RadioRich100]

@@brainbeats7555 Eton is junk

[@mazharhussain818]

Sir I am Pakistani. I need this radio. How can I purchase?

[@Dan-440]

Amazon, Etsy, probably Ali Baba.

[@kcstafford2784]

off grid traveling????is that bicycling or jumping boxcars????

[@glynnetolar4423]

2000MHz battery? WOW! Didn't know you could measure a battery by frequency.

[@timholtzclaw8930]

🤣

[@RadioRich100]

I think he meant MAH

[@hs0zcw]

All shortwave radios today that one to listen to English voices and understand them well need to be equipped with at least a Beat Frequency Oscillator, BFO. That means the receiver will need to be able to switch to CW or for Morse code reception, and then very carefully tuned to hear single sideband voices clearly. Either upper or lower single sideband transmissions are about the only thing you can hear in English on regular shortwave unless it is a broadcast or a government transmitter. If your personal little radio is only equipped for AM and or FM, you will not be able to understand the English language voices using single sideband which requires the injection of a BFO or more commonly marked as a switch to Morse code. So for listening to single sideband transmissions, one need to turn on for Morse code and then tune very slowly and carefully across what is otherwise muffled sounding voices.

[@hs0zcw]

Lots of airplane communication occurs with what are now old fashioned AM transmitters and receivers, but the aircraft bans from about 121 MHz and up are all channelized so the transmissions and receptions are expected to be either on the very same frequency or on two predetermined frequencies one for receiving and one for transmitting. Ground to air communication is not done by referring to channel numbers but rather to the actual frequency

[@hs0zcw]

Almost always expressed in MHz although the operators may say something like "tune to 131.47" and stop talking whereas the experience pilot should know how to tune his radio on board to that frequency. It is especially important for pilots to be able to read these frequencies read out by the ground stations since the ground stations are referring the airplanes to frequencies where they can be reached and reach each other. Ground to air communication at big airports is always one set of frequencies and the airplane after having landed must be referred to the ground based frequencies that are reserved only for ground based directions being given to airliners. If your own radio covers what are called" the air bands," you will have to listen to whoever you hear for a while before you get the hang of how these frequencies are handed off and exchanged. You can count on larger airports having separate bands and frequencies for the ground based communication that may direct an airplane to go down a certain marked route to get to an external gate.

[@glynnetolar4423]

@@hs0zcw FYI, airband has always been simplex. One frequency for transmission and reception. They don't have TX/RX pairs. And yes, that means they can double/block each other if they slip up. Comms are on 118-136MHz. Nav signals are 108-118.

[@forrestjoyner7593]

2000 MHz battery?

[@WhollyOutdoor]

haha, yea we are mistakes and we make humans :)

[@pavil58yt]

​@@WhollyOutdoor😄👍

[@hs0zcw]

If possible, a person should keep. The Hamelund Super Pro.HQ-600 Final Boy. Well, with the best. Technology. And. Like him, Tubes.

[@WhollyOutdoor]

Thanks for sharing!

[@user-md7gu8ll7r]

🎉

[@brainbeats7555]

Sony, no contest... Ive had my 7600 for 40 years and the reissue for 20 years... And 5 or 6 broken Etons...

[@twohandsandaradio]

7600 is only 30 years old so...

[@vahanyazarian5582]

7600A here and still going strong!

[@gary-kr7dm]

Tecsun Pl 990x is far better in my opinion than PL 880 but only because of a switchable MW aerial input which is for all bands except FM. The audio is richer on the 880 due to a better amplifier and speaker. But only for music listening. The 990x is better audio for DX. My opinion only after having both radios for a year.

[@maureen3134]

How so? I have a C. Crane CC Skywave, first SW radio I've owned, and I'm looking to upgrade to something bigger and better. (It's the SSB/AM/FM/SB/WB/AIR).

[@lordkitchner4924]

Agree

[@lordkitchner4924]

The Tecsun 990 or H501 is what you want

[@somejackball]

@@lordkitchner4924 sounds good , thanks!

[@neurofiber2406]

It would be if it had an Aviation band...

[@samkam4984]

I have no idea why they included Kaito radio ... It is not that great radio

[@RadioRich100]

none of them are

[@seasparrow7427]

It's all subjective folks. It's all up to the user to decide what's best. There's no "absolutely the best radio" out there under $500, you get what you pay for. Manufactures do this for a reason....$$$$$.

[@WhollyOutdoor]

thanks for sharing!

[@kcstafford2784]

ive been around all of them...the Kato is a good unit but power hungrey and the solar and crank is a joke the Eton is over priced and the tuner is hiper sencitive making it a hassel to deal with my #1 is the Sony....no like or share... i dont think you actualy tested them but read about them????

[@josechanglua8343]

GOOD RADIOS, UNFORTUNATELY NONE HAS A BLUETOOTH CONNECTION !!!

[@markr041]

Tecsun PL 990 has bluetooth!

[@seasparrow7427]

@@markr041 that's why I'm getting one. But it's a BT receive, not transmit.

[@me-cq7wv]

Save your money buy an SDR ATS25

[@WhollyOutdoor]

Thanks for sharing!

[@kurtzFPV]

​@@WhollyOutdoorI do find it incredible that 2023 none of the name swr manufacturers have put out a radio with a waterfall. I have a pl-880, but I'll never spend any future money on another if the radio doesn't include that feature.

[@RadioRich100]

Their junk

[@mechanickiwi4116]

You seem to be a few years out of date

[@brainbeats7555]

My Sony is 30 years old... still the best on this list...

[@markr.1984]

I've been listening to SW all my life and I'm 65 now. And I would not buy any of those radios, except maybe the Tecsun, because I know something about them. The Satellit Eton 750 being the least of these. It's easily overloaded on strong signals and has strange bandwidths that are not very useful. And very poor on SW, but okay on AM and FM but not worth the money.

[@vahanyazarian5582]

I,m in your age group and it seems that suddenly you can,t find an analog radio but they all resemble computer conveniences and worst of all even the batteries are complicated too.

[@twohandsandaradio]

2 out of 5 right. The rest are ridiculous choices.

[@WhollyOutdoor]

sorry to hear that, what are your suggestions for the top 5?

[@madmax2069]

If the shortwave receiver has gaps in coverage, or lack SSB then they're not worth your time. The Eton 750 is overpriced junk.

[@vahanyazarian5582]

I agree that it,s a lot of marketing and not much performance for what you pay!

[@RadioRich100]

The eton is junk, only 1 lousy filter. Way too expensive.

[@RadioRich100]

I don t know how you came up with this list, but these radios are not the best, that eton and kaito are junk the sony is not a serious sw radio and the sagean has too many problems with its encoder.

[@WhollyOutdoor]

hi feel free to share your choices

[@larry1824]

I trusted radio.shack for everything.