Etón E100 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Review
Etón E100 AM/FM Shortwave Radio Feature
- Very compact, full-featured digital shortwave radio
- Bright, backlit LCD screen; independent fine-tuning control knob
- Tunes AM/FM and shortwave signals
- Auto-scan function; 200 programmable station memories
- Digital alarm clock with sleep timer
 Simple to operate and carry, the E100 is great for tuning in the world wherever the notion strikes you. View larger. |
 On the right, fine tuning, a keypad lock, and volume and tone controls. View larger. |
 On the left, an antenna gain switch, power input, headphone jack, and a handy strap. View larger. |
Measuring 5 x 3 x 1.25 inches, and weighing a mere seven ounces, the E100 is certainly in the pocket-sized radio category. Thankfully, the same rubberized coating that graces the exterior of the E10 has been applied to the E100, giving it a stout and rugged feel. Most of the action can be found on the front of the unit, where you'll find a direct frequency entry keypad, as well as buttons for auto-scanning (hold down the "up" or "down" tuning buttons for a moment, and the auto-scan takes over), up/down station selection, band selection, memory control, bandwidth, power, sleep, and more. All these controls, as well as the LCD display, are arranged to the right of the E100's built-in speaker.
On the left side of the E100 you'll find a 3.5mm connector for headphones and a DC jack power port. Etón has included a set of earbud-style earphones for private listening right out of the box, or the small, built-in speaker on the front of the device allows you to share broadcasts with other listeners. In addition to the power port and headphone jack, this side of the radio also sports an antenna gain switch that lets you choose between H/M/L, allowing you to tone down excessively strong AM or shortwave stations if need be.
The right side of the unit features a fine-tuning dial. This knob has a nice, smooth action, but a note of caution here: the knob can be easily plucked from its posts. If you tend to jostle your gear around, you may find yourself looking for a lost knob. In addition to the fine-tuning dial, this side of the radio also sports a key lock switch. The lock allows you tune a station, lock the radio, and listen without worrying about accidentally pressing a button or bumping a dial. This is a particularly handy function for a pocket radio. One curiosity is the "tone" switch, which lets you choose between high and low. We assume the switch is intended to enhance the lower or upper music ranges when selected, but the difference between the two settings wasn't noticeable. The E100 also features a telescoping antenna on the top of the unit that extends to over 20 inches for FM and shortwave reception, and there is a built-in ferrite bar antenna for AM reception. In addition to AC power (not included), the E100 can also run off of two supplied AA batteries.
LCD Display
The E100's display is crisp and clear, with a clean layout that makes it easy to control the radio's tuning, clock, and timer functions. A separate space in the upper right corner is provided for the clock display so you can view the time and tune the radio at the same time -- a nice touch for a pocket-sized radio. Selecting shortwave meter bands is a breeze with this display, as you simply push the meter band button until the meter you want is displayed on the screen. The radio's memories are easy to browse and recall on the display, as well.
 A crisp, clear display and a keypad for direct frequency entry. View larger. |
Tuning Options
Tuning the E100 is straightforward. The radio tunes MW (commonly known as AM), FM and shortwave signals, and you can choose from manual, auto-scan, direct frequency entry, or fine-tuning modes. If you're new to shortwave, auto-scan will quickly become your friend. With it, we quickly made discoveries, and heard stations from all over the world -- although our limited language skills made it difficult to always know exactly to whom or what we were listening! We found the manual, up/down button press-tuning the most laborious, but we liked the fine-tuning accuracy made possible by the E100's tuning knob.
The E100's impressive memory system also deserves mention. With it, you can set up a huge catalog of stored frequencies -- 550 of them to be exact. Once stored, recalling all these memories is pretty easy, thanks to a straightforward on-screen interface. You can also scan through your memories to rapidly find the frequencies that are currently broadcasting.
Pros
- Very compact, given the radio's features and reception quality
- Clear layout of functions on the LCD
- Fast, accurate shortwave tuning
- Knobs should be better secured to the unit
- Somewhat useless "tone" switch
E100 radio, earphones, 2 AA batteries, and carrying case. Imagine a radio packed with all the bells and whistles; digital tuning, AM/FM/Shortwave reception, and small enough to fit into your coat pocket. The E100 is a dream come true.
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Oct 25, 2011 03:43:04
