Runners up to the Superadio ?

Drew · Posted: Oct Sun 25, 2009 6:39 pm

Most agree, the GE Superadio takes 1st place in AM/FM reception & audio performance in a portable. A couple of nice competitors are the Realistic 12-650A circa 1982 and the Zenith RH76Y circa 1975 ?
Both are labeled high performance long distance. The Panasonic RF-1400 from about 1980 is also pretty nice.

Other AM/FM radios in this catagory...share the brand & model ?

Randy Bassham · Posted: Oct Sun 25, 2009 10:26 pm

I'm pretty partial to my Grundig Satellit 700 portable, here's the eham reviews

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/524
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KAØSCR
You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.
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Drew · Posted: Oct Mon 26, 2009 12:55 am

Randy Bassham · Posted: Oct Mon 26, 2009 3:09 am

Your right but as much as I hate to admit it the GE has it all over the Grundig for right out of the box audio. I wish I could find an audio chip for my Superradio II. I can't even cross the numbers on the chip.

Would you consider the Zenith R2000, it's a really nice sounding set. I'm sure when it came out it cost a lot more than 60-80 dollars, but so would the GE if it had been made at the time the Zenith was introduced.
_________________
KAØSCR
You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.
James Thurber

HadYourPhil · Posted: Oct Mon 26, 2009 5:10 am

The GE P-780 was the precursor to the SR. It was AM only. GE came out with an AM-FM, the P-865 in 1961, that could be called the first AM-FM SR. Good performance on both bands and good sound quality, too.
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compucat · Posted: Oct Mon 26, 2009 4:33 pm

Lou deGonzague · Posted: Oct Tue 27, 2009 1:58 am

Drew, count me in for a very positive vote on the Panasonic RF-1401. This radio is very similar in physical appearance to the super radios AM-FM only. It has a 5" speaker, a loudness sw(bass boost) , and a Batery saver sw. The sound is great with separate Bass and Treble controls. Tuning is nice and tight and sensitivity very good. If you see one of these in good condition jump on it Razz

P.S. Don't know what the differences are on the 1400 vs 1401, just realized he was talking 1400. All i can say is 1401 is one sweet radio.

OZ132HOME · Posted: Oct Tue 27, 2009 1:17 pm

Drew, I agree audio performance in the Superadios is outstanding. For AM DXing, however, I think the Panasonic RF-2200 is better. I have both. The quietness of the Panny on AM DX is quite amazing...
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Aaron2 · Posted: Oct Tue 27, 2009 8:42 pm

Aaron2 · Posted: Oct Tue 27, 2009 9:46 pm

Dave Doughty · Posted: Oct Wed 28, 2009 5:05 pm

Is the Zenith Royal 2000 a serious contender? The one I have performs well and sounds good.

(picture courtesy transistor.org)

Dave

Guy B · New Member Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 17

I like my GE PF780. Great sound and I like the looks of it. I have been surprised more than once at the stations I have pulled in with it. Guy

Naddy69 · Member Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 708

Dave Doughty · Posted: Nov Wed 04, 2009 1:44 am

The thing that kind of put the Superadio in a class by itself was it's $40 - $50 retail price.

Dave

FM Refugee · Posted: Nov Wed 04, 2009 2:56 am

Sandy · Posted: Nov Wed 04, 2009 3:00 am

If you are talking about GE Superadios you need to specify which version. I have a Superadio 2 which is a terrific radio. I've used lots of portables for AM dxing and nothing I've tried even comes close. On the other hand I have a Superadio 3 which is out performed by almost every other radio I own. YMMV.
best regards,
Sandy

Naddy69 · Member Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 708

Sandy · Posted: Nov Wed 04, 2009 5:32 am

That's what makes these discussions interesting. My experience with a Panasonic was that it had recurring switch problems. More trouble than it was worth for me. My Superadio may be cheap but it makes no difference what AM portable it is compared with, it is far from a toy.
As I said in my previous posting, YMMV.
best regards,
Sandy

Huesby · New Member Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Posts: 17

Naddy69:

I own a Panasonic Rf-2200, a RF-1150 AND a Superadio 1 and 2, and I agree with you the RF-1150 is better than the RF-2200 BUT and this it´s a big BUT they are nowhere close to a Superadio 1 or 2, why you say ?...

All of them are equally sensistive let´s say :

RF1150......... 100 %
RF-2200......... 97%
Superadio 1.. 100 %
Superadio 2.. 100 %

But in condition of extreme interference like me living in a city surrounded with many powerful AM transmiters those Pana´s get severely overloaded and getting deaf, for instance I want to hear DURING THE DAY an AM station at 1530 Khz wich is 700 miles from here , but near here there are 2 AM station towers transmitting at 1430 and 1250 Khz and this latter at half a mile from here, so this 2 radios the RF-2200 and the RF-1150 only get a mix of these stations while tuned at 1530 Khz whereas the SUPERADIOS receive the signal LOUD AND CLEAR, amazing isn´t ?...
Of course far from those towers (about 5 miles) all of them receive the station clearly...

Drew · Posted: Nov Thu 05, 2009 12:45 am

I did start off by saying "prerfarmance in a portable" in relation to a the Superadio, assuming contenders would be in the less then $80 range, though I did not make that clear.

I don't know what the Panasonic RF-1150 or RF-2200 went for new ? Folks seem to like these today.....auctions bring pretty high prices, with the 2200 being downright expensive.

Anyone else have the Zenith model RH76Y 'long distance'....it really seems to pull tons of both AM & FM stations (seems the same as both of my SR's), but it's audio is slightly below par due to having only a 3 x 5 inch oval speaker.

Surely there are others makes ? I seem to remember Magnavox had a really nice unit in about 1980-82.

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