Just got a G8 :)

[Tincap]

As mentioned in another thread, I've just picked up a Grundig G8, getting mine from Amazon. Currently on sale for $50, on the US site (http://www.amazon.com/Traveler-Digital-G8-Shortwave-Storage/dp/B001QTXKF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330044032&sr=8-1), I got mine from the Canadian site for CDN$ 60.

I've copied and pasted initial impressions, from the other thread, below:

"I've just picked up a Grundig G8 (Tecsun PL-300WT), which has DSP and is currently on sale at Amazon for $50, with free delivery.

After reading the reviews, I chose the G8 to replace my cheap, but faithful, Grundig 1000a (aka Tecsun DR-910), as a small travel radio. The difference is night and day. FM selectivity is very good, separating stations which even my larger Sangeans struggle with. AM/MW sounds very good too, pulling in stations well. Although obviously not a AM/MW DX machine, such as my Sangeans, I'm impressed with the sound quality of the signals, especially through my head phones. As for SW, I was impressed at getting a very listenable signal from AIR (in Arabic, on 13640 kHz) this afternoon, but currently, I'm getting 'images', in the higher meter bands (EWTN on 2340 kHz, for example). There's no direct entry pad, but it holds 100 stations, per band (AM/FM/SW). The G8 is pocket sized (which is how I carried my 1000a), but has no clip, if that's what you're needing. Also gives time and has built in alarm, which is very handy.

More info on the G8, including dimensions, can be found here ~> http://www.etoncorp.com/upload/contents/307/Grundig_G8_specs_122210.pdf
                                                                                       http://www.etoncorp.com/upload/contents/307/G8_Manual_052009.pdf 

<~

I'll post some insights into this little unit, as time permits. As for now, I'm playing a bit with the SW bands, pulling in Radio Farda (via Kuwait site @ 250 kW) on 5830 kHz. Speaking of Kuwait, Radio Kuwait (@ 100 kW), can be heard underneath NHK's (strong!) Sackville relay, on 5960 kHz. Further south, RSG (Radio Sonder Grense) is audible on 3320. Also getting RAF Volmet on 5400, Shannon on 5505 (however, the G8 has no side band ).

Not bad, for such a little thing! More latter.

Happy hunting!

~BG

[crainbebo]

Awesome! You've GOT to try FM. FM is the best band on the G8, I've pulled in stations 100 mi away in Auburn WA with ease. It's also the same radio that received CBCV-FM1 99.5 from the Sooke BC area in Marysville, WA, running 64w only.

-crainbebo

[Tincap]

Awesome! You've GOT to try FM. FM is the best band on the G8, I've pulled in stations 100 mi away in Auburn WA with ease. It's also the same radio that received CBCV-FM1 99.5 from the Sooke BC area in Marysville, WA, running 64w only.

-crainbebo

I've played with the FM a little bit (surely, it can't beat my Luxman/FM-6 set up ). I did an errand, which took me closer to Ottawa and I brought the G8 along. While working indoors, I was able to pick off a favourite of mine, 90.9 WJNY 'Classic FM' (7.1 kW), static free, from 73 miles distant. Even with that monster, 90.7 CBOF-FM (SRC Preimere Chaine) knocking next door, there was no interference. Not super crazy stuff, but still, I was quite impressed! On a nice day, I'll have to perch my-self on the porch and see what I can pull in.

~BG

[mimo]

I have the G8 traveller II and I absolutely LOVE IT.  The FM is the best I've ever owned.  Period.  The AM is decent, not as go0d as my cc radio plus but a Terk Advantage evens it out.  The shortwave IS very go0d.  The more I play with it the more I notice.  I also get AIR on 2 frequencies: 13640 and 11670.  Even when another station signs on at 13640 in mid afterno0n, AIR is still listenable underneath.  I don't really get to0 much AM imaging but I do get FM imaging.  It's also easily over-ridable by repositioning the antena, usually straight down at the ground or perpendicular to the ground.

[gar fla]

I really like my G8 too.

It's such a small compact solid radio, just holding it is a thrill.

The shortwave reception is amazing and especially considering it's so amall and barefoot.

I've had many good SW catches on mine since I got it in late 2010.


Here's a station from Saudi Arabia...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKSQJJIfZsA

Here's WWVH in Hawaii behind WWV ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEeEUCahDnI

And my best distance catch yet from China ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQesY_HNk3o


Things have come a long way from those big tabletop shortwave radios in the 70s.

[FreddyE1977]

Wow, I could've had a G8!   

G8 was also a car made by Pontiac.

[spunker88]

I think this has the same or very similar DSP chip that my Tecsun PL-390 has. If I take the radio to a clear spot outside it will pull in some very distant stations on FM. In the dead of winter it was pulling in weak Toronto, Buffalo, Binghamton, Ottawa and Montreal stations. Shortwave is great on it I get many stations from all over, but I think it sometimes suffers from WWCR's powerful signal. There strongest daytime signal on 13845 has a nearly 80dbuV signal where I am. I imagine they are probably nearly the same strength where you are.

[Tincap]

Wow, I could've had a G8!   

G8 was also a car made by Pontiac.

The G8 was not made by Pontiac, it was imported by Pontiac...

~BG

[Tincap]

I think this has the same or very similar DSP chip that my Tecsun PL-390 has. If I take the radio to a clear spot outside it will pull in some very distant stations on FM. In the dead of winter it was pulling in weak Toronto, Buffalo, Binghamton, Ottawa and Montreal stations. Shortwave is great on it I get many stations from all over, but I think it sometimes suffers from WWCR's powerful signal. There strongest daytime signal on 13845 has a nearly 80dbuV signal where I am. I imagine they are probably nearly the same strength where you are.

I took the thing out on the back deck for a few moments (before all this snow hit, lol!) and gave FM a spin. Keeping in mind that I am in a bit of an FM 'black hole', I checked for my most frequent Toronto visitor (91.1 CJRT), but didn't hear anything. As I swung around, Espace Musique (CBFX-FM-6, Mont-Laurier, QC) popped up, along with the weak semi-local college station, WTSC, Potsdam NY. On the other end of the FM band, Burlington Vermont's 107.9 WVPS (VPR) was snagged, although WWHT (Hot 107.9) Syracuse was not 'in the house', even though my deck is on the south west corner of our home.

WWCR isn't noticeably troublesome, but yes, there is a bit of imaging going on in (higher meter bands) SW.

~BG

[gar fla]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread just for this question so I thought I'd put it here because it's about something I heard on my little G8 tonight.

Around 7:25 pm on 7445 khz, I heard a station fading in and out from a fair audible signal to nothing and back.

So I went to this site where you enter the frequency you're hearing at the time and it gives a list of stations with the one broadcasting at the time highlighted in yellow.

http://hfradio.org/swbc/ 

This has been a very helpful site for geting IDs of shortwave catches but this one left me confused.

According to the time I was listening, it was the Voice of America from Iranawila, Sri Lanka and the language listed was Vietnamese but it did not sound like any Oriental language at all.

It was some foreign language I couldn't even begin to identify and I thought I may have heard "Sri Lanka" among the words the man was saying but he was talking so fast, so I can't be sure.

Does anyone know if the Voice Of America broadcasts in that regional language or if I was hearing the station from Sri Lanka?