Customer Reviews

Eton E5 AM/FM Shortwave Radio

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm an electronics engineer, an active AM, SW, HF, VHF, & UHF listener/explorer, with antennas on my roof in the middle of a downtown city in the N.E. USA that serve me well. I also write tech & gadget reviews on my own sites & servers, & do make money on them. I will not post the URLs so you won't think I'm a spammer. Reviews here, & at other sites is what convinced me to buy this radio so I'll contribute a review here as well as at my own sites. I do not work for Kaito or Eton or anyone else. My electronic service & tech shop, & sites are owned by me. I work for myself. I sell electronic services (not radio service, radio is one of my hobbies), & write articles, but do not sell products or radios. I'm sure I'm not the best, but I'm good enough.

- FM - This is the primary reason I bought this radio. I was considering the Kaito 1103 with it's goofy useless LCD analog display, & strange annoying quirks, until I found out the E5 was the improved version. I wanted a multiband portable that wasn't too bulky that could also get decent FM where in the congested city, one suffers from too many strong FM stations overwhelming others on even good FM receivers, & would also pick up more FM in rural areas far from civilization when I'm camping & hiking a lot. I may live in the city, but get away from it all regularly. I thought it would be nice if it performed at least above average on the other bands.

There is an FM antenna MYTH about the "longer the better". This is simply not true for FM, VHF, or UHF. On portables using the built-in antenna they usually perform best at 5/8, 1/2, 1/4, or 1/8 wave. Longer may actual just pick up more interference (especially near other strong stations), or weaken the signal you want going into the radio. You'll find most portables will perform best on FM with the antenna extended no more than 6"-14" vertical. Cheap or poorly made radios may actually perform better with the antenna down all the way when near a city. If you must move your antenna diagonal or horizontal, to weaken an interfering, stronger, or an adjacent station, you may improve reception by extending it no more than 18"-20" & moving it around. If you're in a building that's blocking out a lot of signals, or have other buildings, hills, mountains, blocking them, or far away from any station, you may extend the antenna more to get a piece of the signal, but your antenna will be out of tune. You may find moving the radio a little or up higher may work better than making the antenna too long. You need longer antennas for lower frequencies, & shorter ones for higher frequencies.

The E5 exceeded my FM expectations pulling far away or weak stations clearly in the city & rural areas better than any FM receiver I ever owned... even beating my high-end audiophile home FM tuners or receivers with large dipole or quality amplified antennas attached... with just it's built-in antenna! It has made my home theater FM receiver obsolete as I just run the radio's "line out" to the inputs now. It also offers plenty of easy to use memory for all the extra stations I could pick up.

If you don't mind a slight distortion or hiss (but listenable) you'll even find many FM stations you didn't know existed. The wide/narrow switch is a nice hiss filter for FM. Switch to Mono also to clean up really weak FM stations. I can't wait 'till summer evenings when we get lots of temperature inversions to boost FM signals far beyond the horizon, or pick up FM meteor bounce.

- AM - Although it appears to be more sensitive than my modified Older & newer GE "Super Radios", DX-394, DX-390, or DX-380... in the city, or around most appliances, other electronics, dimmers, mercury or sodium vapor lights, fluorescent lights, & computers, the E5 also picks up more interference from them making the radio seem to be less sensitive to those other radios. So if you're near these things that generate a lot of RF noise or static, the other radios I mentioned performed better on AM & reject the noise more. Under those conditions my old DX-390 actually even outperformed the legendary "SuperRadio". If you move around the house, go to the back or front of the house, garage, upstairs, go to a rural area or anywhere else there's less electrical & electronic background noise, it beats the other radios hands down. External AM loop or amplified AM antennas only seemed to increase the noise in the city. Also leaving my rooftop SW/HF antenna plugged into the unit, or leaving the built in antenna extended while on AM only increased background noise. So leave the antenna down for down for AM. I didn't try any external antennas for AM in rural areas, but didn't need to, because it performed so well.

- SW/HF/SSB - This radio, by far, using it's built-in antenna, outperformed any other SW portable in the city & in rural areas using their built-in antennas, even on SSB. Again though, in the city, my rooftop SW antenna plugged into it seemed to boost the noise as well as signal, except on just a few signals. I found for most listening it performed better in the city with it's built in antenna extended all the way. I suspect this radio, along with my Grudig Mini 300 have an amplified SW antenna. Only my DX-394 significantly reduced the city's electrical & electronic noise to make my rooftop antenna very useful. But I live in an electronically very noisy area.

In the country, I used no real, true SW antenna. I just clipped several yards of ordinary wire, to it's built-it antenna, & tossed the other end up a tree limb. It performed exceedingly well... better than any portable in it's class & price range. The Local/DX switch works well, & as expected.

I did not observe any dead, silent, or strong spots every 100khz like another review mentioned... perhaps there's some factory inconsistencies in the first models out, or others were nearby similar appliances or computers generating harmonics in this area.

- SOUND - This radio's sound quality sounds better for music or talk than any radio it's size, & for the size of the speaker. Of course, you won't be able to blast it like a giant radio or boom box, but it does well. If you do play it loud, especially with music that has lots of bass, those 4 tiny AA batteries will not last very long. Volume & bass sucks up a lot more power. I'm a bit disappointed & surprised that the Wide/Narrow, Music/Talk switch doesn't roll off the bass a little on the narrow setting. That's a common feature of most radios in this class. On the Narrow setting, less bass would sound better even with music, & less muddy because there's much less treble on that setting anyway. Less bass on Narrow would also suck up less of your precious battery power... an advantage when in a rural area, off the grid, or during a blackout. Perhaps after the warranty runs out, I'll find a way to squeeze a tiny bass cut switch in it. I did not notice anything unusual with the volume control or abnormal jump between numbers, but if I did, it most certainly would not be a good reason to return a great radio for an inferior one or give this cool radio only 2 stars. Perhaps the other reviewer was just having a bad day or time of the month.

- BATTERIES - It seems to use up the batteries faster than many other radio this size & class. Perhaps all the extra electronics & features need more power. I know the extra bass definitely needs more power, but it sure sounds nice... except on the Narrow/Talk setting. As I said above, we don't need that extra bass on narrow, & strong bass on Narrow only detracts from the feature. The tiny low powered blue LEDs do not draw much power at all, so not using the light won't noticeably extend your battery life much. Besides, the dial & button lighting looks real cool, & are very handy in the dark. With all the features, goodies, quality, & reception this small radio has, I am not surprised at all that only 4 tiny AA batteries last 4 hours (playing loud) to 8 or 9 hours (playing softly or with headphones) if played continuously.

I used only 2000mha rechargeables to test the playing time. 2500mha ones should give you about 20% more playing time, & 2600-2700mha AAs are now commonly on the market. I used 2000mha ones for the test because one can get them incredibly cheap in bulk. Your best alkalines usually won't last any longer than 2500mha recheargables. The most expensive alkalines will only last 10-15% longer than the cheapest ones. You will actually save money by buying more cheap alkalines, than the fewer expensive ones you can afford. Lithiums should last the longest... but at a very premium price. The radio's battery life, like all battery operated equipment will last many hours more if they're not used continuously till they're drained. Giving them a break for a few hours to half the day, regenerates the batteries (all types)a bit, & greatly extends battery life.

There's a power quirk with this radio. Rechargeables are usually only 1.2 volts each or a total of 4.8 volts for 4 of them, where ordinary batteries are 1.5 volts or a total of 6 volts for 4 of them. Because the radio draws a bit of power, that 4.8 or 6 volts drops 20-25% as soon as you turn the radio on. I find if even 1 out of 4 of the cells start to get weak, even though not quite discharged, the radio will go shut down. When the running voltage dips below about 3.2-3.4 volts the radio peters out even though there's a bit of battery power left.

Other 4xAA radios will run down to 2.5-3.0 volts before cutting out, although with less volume or loss of sensitivity, or some distortion. So the higher minimum voltage may be another reason for the shorter battery life of the radio... there's still some power left in the batteries. Beware you should discharge your rechargeables fully once in a while for them to hold a good, full, long-lasting charge. The modern types don't have to be fully discharged as often as older types, but still should be done occasionally.

Also if after the radio shuts down because of low batteries, if you repeatedly turn the radio back on after a rest to squeeze a few more minutes of play time, & discharge the batteries more, it can screw up it's CPU! When you put fresh batteries back in them, this radio may not turn on anymore or it may act screwy until you press the reset button. This is common with a few digital battery radios, esp. many Modern Radio Shack digital portables... except there is no reset button on some of those, so the radio is permanently screwed unless you know how to re-program the CPU. so when the batteries run down, & the radio shuts off. You can turn it back on after it rests for a while, but no more than a couple times, or you may have to reset the radio. Resetting won't effect the station memories, but will reset the clock.

If you plan to be far from an AC outlet, battery store, off the grid, or in a blackout for more than a few hours, bring extra batteries. I had hoped, this would be an "all in one" all-purpose, long playing radio, so I didn't need many radios (I got too many now), esp. when traveling. But for all the goodies I get, I don't mind the slightly shorter battery life. For camping I also bring a Grundig Mini 300 Worldband receiver. It's a tiny shirt-pocket AM/FM/SW radio that runs for days on just 2 AA batteries. That very tiny radio, & it's speaker, outperforms, sounds better, & lasts longer than any other radio it's size. So when I'm not looking for very weak signals, or need SSB, the Mini 300 does the job well when I need my batteries to last forever.

- AC Adapter - I got the slightly rounded AC adapter & did not get any hum from it at all as I read in other reviews. The only difference I noticed was the same difference I get when grounding the radio without an adapter (signal boost). Maybe the current models have fixed the problem, or the rechargeables I had in the radio are acting as filter capacitors eliminating the hum. As I bought this as a mobile portable, I didn't get around to running the adapter without batteries in it.

- OVERALL - The radio performed better than my expectations, although I probably hoped for more than was possible on SW & AM using external antennas in the city for a small radio. It's not the radio's fault, just too much wishfull thinking. Other details of the radio were as advertised. I love all those extra memories, & page labeling. After just getting used to it a little, it was easy to use. It's much more user friendly than the older Kaito 1103 version but still not as intuitive as other radios in it's class. So don't lose the instructions. I usually never need the instuctions, & can usually figure things out faster myself than reading them. Although I was able to get the radio running, tune any frequency, & use SSB within just a few minutes right out of the box, I needed the instructions for some of the extras. The instructions should be understandable to anyone with average intelligence, but is not flawless.

Fortunately, armed with the instructions, I found it very easy to learn to use the radio, & very easy to remember how. Just don't lose the instuctions. If you haven't used a particular feature in a while, I can see forgetting how to.

This radio is very similar in performance to the cheaper Kaito 1103. Performance is OUTSTANDING, and several annoying attributes of the 1103 (such as the volume control ergonomics) have been designed out. (see my review of the Kaito 1103)
FM performance is so HOT that I can hear several stations from Eugene OR (about 110 miles away) with the antenna of the E5 folded completely down! AM selectivity and sensitivity are EXCELLENT, providing nightime reception of WOAI (1200 khz) in San Antonio TX, from my location near Portland OR. This is a difficult task for all but the very best receivers, due to nearby occupation of an adjacent frequency (1190 khz) by a 50,000 watt "blowtorch", KEX . Shortwave performance is very good for a small portable, SSB and code reception (used by many Hams) is provided, and fairly easy to tune with a fine tuning thumbwheel knob on the side of the radio.

The E5 manual is very well written, and without a doubt the E5 is easier to operate than the 1103. The E5 has an incredible number of memory presets (700) !

I would give this radio 5 stars except for the accessories... The nice (vinyl?) carrying case, which should be an improvement over the cheaper cloth bag provided by Kaito for the 1103 SMELLS really bad! (something like creosote or sheep dip). This may "air out" in time, but is annoying. Batteries are NOT included with the E5.

Consider buying a "Passport to World Band Radio" along with this set... this book is almost like having a "TV guide" for shortwave! The website for this publication (passband.com) has a very good review of the E5 under "Receiver News: updates to the edition 2006" .

Update 4/28: After a month, the carrying case now smells ok. I have operated the radio on the AC adaptor and verified that it generates "noise" on AM and SW as stated in the Passport review. (use for charging batteries only or return it to Eton for improved version). A very comprehensive review of the E5 can now be found on radiointel.com.

Hi folks , its Vince the radioman . I have a large collection of radios and I love to do compares . I am a hobbiest with a vast array of antennas and filters and I test all radios with and without the assistance from my additional equipment .
This is a very nice , sleek , compact fully functional radio with complete coverage 150khz to 29999khz. It has a very sensative tuning section which is great for DXing . The selectivity and sensativity is top notch , however , as mentioned by other reviewers it also seems to be more sensative to noise . There is no filters or SYNC feature . The SONY SW7600 which is the same price is truly a better radio, period!It has SYNC and up front filters that eliminate noise and the SYNC feature is crucial for true DXing .My Grundig YB 400 is also good but I have had better results , especially on AM with the E5 and especially when I hook the E 5 up to my antenna/filter system .
The SSB is top notch ! Very good results without an addional antenna , clear and distinct.
Curiously I wonder why this model has been claimed by ...Eton , Grundig , Degan and Kaito ...it appears that there is "one " manufacturer in the far east and companies scranmble to bid on putting there name on their products!!? Non the less the E5 and the G5( Grundig version , BTW the AC adaptor on the G5 does not hum)appears to be an improved Kaito 1103, nice job !
The Eton e1 , e10 and e100 are all of the same design , the E5 is not of this design . The E10 has an IF filter and an antenna trim . The E5 does not but certainly needs it .The durable feel and solid construction is also missing on the E5 unlike the E1,10 and 100 which are solid galvanized rubber , the E5 is plastic.
Its has a very good sound both from the built in speaker and the headphones.It has a nice backlight set up ( lights automatically when you touch the tuning dial) and robust memory.
Its a solid 4 star radio ...very good! However , the SONY SW7600 is a much better buy for the money .

According to other reviews, this radio compares favorably with others in its price class.

As a ham radio operator I can say I am very happy with the E5. It is the best portable Broadcast band radio I have ever had.

It is the best portable Shortwave radio I have ever had.

I was particularly interested in SSB capability. It works well.


I called about the noisy power supply and they are sending me the improved replacement. I use 2100 mah Nimh batteries which I charge externally. I have two sets. The radio works well with these.

I found that the internal antenna by itself, indoors, is not enough. I used the included wire antenna with moderately good results. But more convient is using the telescoping antenna. This antenna works, according to the manual, for FM and SW only, but I found that extending it fully, is effective in all cases. Ressults using this method were similar to the wire.

Holding the radio and using the headset may also improve reception.

Hams know that the antenna is a critical part of any receiver. There are limits to what is possible in a package this size. I have not tested it with a tuned outdoor antenna.

For what it is, this is a great tool. It is a convient size and easy to program and use. It more than meets my expectations.

[...]

The Eton E5 is the best small portable for FM reception that I've ever seen. It's Broadcast band (AM) is quite good, as well. Shortwave reception is above average but could be improved. When connecting headphones, the FM stereo produced is quite good and the tone of the AM is very satisfactory. A drawback to the radio is the up/down volume control buttons. I find the adjustments to be too coarse. The radio's tuning knob is very good and there's no muting between stations when the knob is tuned. Tone control through the small built-in speaker is quite good for the radio's size. I use rechargeable batteries, and find the battery life to be quite satisfactory. This radio is good value for the money.

Great receiver for its size. Great reception and great sound. Actualy like better than my 'super' 909. It actually pulls in signals better. If I was doing it over, I'd settle for this radio and be done. The dial is straight forward and very easy to use.

This radio is all about feel, function, and form factor. General performance is about what you'd expect from a premium quality travel radio with a 3 inch speaker. Music is much better listened to through a good set of headphones, of course, and with a strong FM signal the results can be quite stunning! User interface is excellent and very efficient and the rubberized coating gives this radio a nice upscale feel compared to the usual hard plastic of most radios in this price class. In all, this should be the first choice of anyone looking for a fine compact entertainment and information appliance under $200.

This radio has lots of great features (with the notable exception of synchronous detection - reducing signal fade), but it sucks batteries dry very quickly. I would gladly live without a signal strength indicator or 700 memory locations, etc, for longer battery life. Also, I had a problem with my whip antenna on my Eton E5; the connection became loose after a few days of use, so I put it in storage. For a really good SW radio, I highly recommend the Sony ICF-SW7600GR.

I am very satisfied with the radio. It has good reception and sound quality. This is my first short wave radio with digital tuning and I am pleased with the fact that it stays on frequency without having to keep re-adjusting the tuning. It has a nice display and the controls are well laid out. It is very compact for all the features it has and it seems to have a good battery life. For the price, I think it is well worth it.

This radio was a replacement for a still functioning Grundig Traveler II multi band receiver, a very good, small radio with excellent sensitivity and great sound quality.
The E5 is a multi band shortwave radio with double superhet tuning circuit and wide band coverage. It has good sensitivity and selectivity, comparable to the equivalent Sony but at a lower price. It's ergonomics let it down however. The volume control is digital and in the wrong place on the front panel instead of on the side and is coarse in its action - jumping from a whisper to a roar in one or two steps. The frequency memory system while having 700 locations is clumsy to set up and access. Shortwave performance is fine but if all you want is a better than average AM broadcast band radio it is a lot of money to pay.