Best shortwave radios 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]

Best shortwave radios of 2018

I review the three best shortwave radios on the market at the moment. Check them out and decide which one suits you the best to splurge upon.

The best shortwave radios will make your fairytale dreams come true! After carefully examining the reviews and ratings of the people who have used them earlier this listicle has been made.

Test Results and Ratings

Rank	№1	№2	№3
Product
Total	4.8	4.5	4.3
Design	5 points	5 points	4 points
Size	5 points	5 points	5 points
Construction	5 points	4 points	4 points
Price	4 points	4 points	4 points
Awards

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№1 – Eton Field AM / FM / Shortwave Radio with RDS and Bluetooth

Pros

AM/FM/SW Bands

FM with RBDS (radio data system)

Dial-in-Dial coarse/fine digital Tuning

Cons

Not found yet.

Why did this shortwave radios win the first place?

The product is very strong. Its material is stable and doesn’t crack. I don’t know anything about other models from this brand, but I am fully satisfied with this product. I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! I was completely satisfied with the price. Its counterparts in this price range are way worse.

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№2 – KKmoon MR300 Shortwave Antenna Analyzer Meter Tester 1 to 60MHz RF SWR for Ham Radio

Pros

Can test the standing wave, impedance, capacitance and so on.

Frequency generation & control: 1-60MHz.

Step size: user configurable increments of 100Hz, 1KHz, 10KHz, and 100KHz.

Cons

A little more expensive than other brands.

Casing feels fragile.

Why did this shortwave radios come in second place?

The material is pretty strong and easy to wash if needed. This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office. I recommend you to consider buying this model, it definitely worth its money. Managers explained me all the details about the product range, price, and delivery.

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№3 – Eton Grundig Satellit 750 Ultimate AM / FM / Aircraft / SSB / Shortwave Radio

Pros

AM, FM, aircraft band (118-137 MHz) and shortwave (1711-30000 KHz)

Single Side Band (SSB)

Auto/manual/direct frequency key-in and station memory tuning

Cons

The handle could be of better quality.

Length might be an issue with some customers.

Why did this shortwave radios take third place?

I liked the design. We’ve been using it for 2 months and it still looks like brand new. The material is incredibly nice to the touch. It has a great color, which will suit any wallpapers. This price is appropriate since the product is very well built. It is inconvenient to use due to the size. I am going to get something different next time.

shortwave radios Buyer’s Guide

Tuning methods

Another matter to consider when you are buying a shortwave radio is ease of use. Some radios include knobs for tuning while others include only buttons. Most users prefer knobs, and are especially happy with units which include knobs that turn very smoothly. This is not to say that a knob is the right choice for everyone, but this is a factor to think about before purchasing.

Synchronous detector

This is a feature which allows your shortwave radio to lock onto signals more effectively. This helps to get rid of noise and fading, producing a strong, clear broadcast. This feature does typically add to the price of a radio, but it can be well worth paying a little extra for.

Construction

The actual build of your radio is important too, especially if you are shopping for a portable model which you are planning to carry with you during emergencies. You want it to be robust enough to hold up to wear and tear. Pay attention to the dimensions and the weight while you are at it. Portable radios need to be compact and lightweight. Some models can be quite heavy, which could be a problem in an emergency.

ICF-SW7600. This device’s origins date back to the late 70s and every feature has been refined and tweaked to perfection. The ICF-SW7600 is not the best shortwave for playing music, but news and talk radio stations sound very crisp and clear.

Heavy duty construction. This very solid metal shortwave radio is incredibly sturdy and well-built.

Professional features. The ICF-SW7600GR’s synchronous detector allows you to lock on to faint, far-away stations.

Excellent reception. This radio is quite small, yet surprisingly powerful.

Portability. You can carry this shortwave radio with you wherever you go.

Intuitive controls. Beginner shortwave radio enthusiasts will appreciate this product’s easy-to-use interface.

Energy efficient. The ICF-SW7600GR has better battery life than most other portable shortwaves.

The ICF-SW7600 is made for talk radio, not music. Voices come in loud and clear, but songs don’t sound very good.

Tecsun PL880

If you want to make a solid investment, you can’t go wrong with the Tecsun PL880. It’s an outstanding shortwave radio in all regards. It offers a great range coverage, four selectable bandwidth filters on AM and it comes with SSB. It’s powered by a strong rechargeable battery and has a 24-hour alarm clock.

The shortwave reception on this model is very good as the device is capable of nicely separating closely-spaced signals. The SSB works as it should and it’s not a particularly difficult process to tune in thanks to the coarse and fine tuning knobs. Here too the reception seems devoid of unusual artifacts.

There are bandwidths provided by this unit and they come in two groups. One is for the AM mode but it’s also used for shortwave. The other is set for SSB and sync modes. AM sounds very clear and detailed mostly due to the wide 9KHz filter which delivers a level of clarity similar to FM taking into account that this is a portable device.

The basic controls include two knobs used for tuning, fast and slow for all bands, a great setup for quick access and satisfying results when tuning. You will also find a volume and control knobs, a Local/Normal/Distant switch for shortwave, a light switch, and a Hi/Lo Tone switch. This model runs on a 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery which comes with a smart charger that won’t overcharge the battery. There’s a typical wire antenna and a nice pair of earbuds included as well as a convenient carrying case.

Considering the price, if you want to listen to shortwave or distant AM stations, the Tecsun PL880 is worth a shot. Other more expensive models have more features but this one is the perfect all-around unit. Highly recommended if this is within your price range.

LED flashlight

There’s a decent range of frequencies picked up by this receiver, such as shortwave, AM, and FM. A total of four methods for tuning are at your disposal. Use the tuning knob, ATS tuning, memory, and Easy Tuning Mode, a patented technology, abbreviated as ETM which has been developed by Tecsun. This method differs a bit from ATS as it can do a more advanced scanning, catching without issues all the frequencies that the unit is capable of receiving.

In total, you can use 450 memories to tune into a wide range of your preferred stations. Gaining access to more stations in your local area is done with ease making this model great for traveling. Another interesting feature of this radio is the high sensitivity ferrite external antenna which has been designed to enhance the AM reception of the device. It can pick up even some long distance stations which usually have less stable signals.

The frequency coverage between 2300-21950 KHz for shortwave is very good. Keeping the radio powered is done through batteries which you’ll need to purchase separately. The radio is equipped with a DC jack that can charge compatible batteries if necessary. Among the included accessories you will find stereo earphones and a carrying pouch.

When you look back over its features, the Tecsun PL-360 delivers quite the value for the money. If you’re looking for something portable, easy to use, and not too expensive, this shortwave radio fits the bill. It’s also worth adding that it comes with decent reception capability and it’s not too demanding on batteries. The nice little extras make this product a very recommended choice for a quality shortwave radio.

Product Highlights

Featuring a solid shortwave and AM/FM receiver with Digital Signal Processing in a very simple and small little package, the Kaito KA32is one of the most affordable shortwave radios you can find. It provides a solid coverage at this price and it has a stereo earphone jack to enjoy private listening sessions.

The build quality is decent at this price, especially the telescopic whip antenna which seems very stout. There are two ridged knobs protruding from the right side of the radio. These are used for tuning and adjusting the volume. On the top side of the radio there’s a sliding band switch and a small dot, painted red, shows through tiny square holes to indicate the current band.

Tuning can be a bit difficult as it feels a little quirky when adjusting for weak stations. The soft-mute feature is present which can be advantageous in certain cases while unfortunately, it will also bury low-level signals in noise. The AM sensitivity is not amazing but it offers acceptable performance. The shortwave radio is a particularly delicate medium and this unit is capable of tuning well on many broadcasters after you get the tuning right.

This radio requires two batteries to operate and the built-in speaker is surprisingly clear and loud. It’s probably a better idea to use earphones though because it’s much easier to distinguish adjacent signals so it makes for a more pleasant shortwave listening experience.

As it truly delivers in terms of both shortwave and AM/FM reception performance, the Kaito KA32is an excellent radio that shouldn’t miss from your travels. At this price, you can hardly find a better option and even if this unit lacks a few refinements and could be a bit tricky to figure out at first, it’s still deserving of getting a spot on this list of the best shortwave radios.

TECSUN PL-380 DSP FM stereo

Any shortwave listener would love the Tecsun PL-380 for its balanced set of features for the cost. It’s powered by RioRand advanced technology, has tuning modes that you can toggle and it provides a small footprint that makes it very convenient to carry around. At a glance, it seems like a unit full of potential.

When it comes to coverage and sensitivity, this model performs above average. It comes with Tecsun’s powerful Easy Tuning Mode function which is capable of scanning through the whole frequency band. It will select all the available stations with ease. The difference between this mode and ATS is that it won’t store or replace existing memories with a new scan.

An aspect where this shortwave radio really stands out is the build quality. The telescoping whip antenna incorporated on the device feels sturdy and durable when fully extended. There’s a good and solid click when you press the buttons as they have a stiff spring behind them. On the left front, you can discover a round speaker which doesn’t really impress in terms of power and clarity but you can connect headphones if you want better sound quality.

Anyone interested in a relatively inexpensive shortwave radio that comes in a small package can definitely benefit a lot from a model like the Tecsun Pl-380. Thanks to the Easy Tuning Mode, finding stations is a breeze and overall, this unit works exactly as advertised. All the included goodies like the wrist carry strap and the carry pouch as well as the earbuds and the antenna extension wire are of good quality so this offers a nice value for the money.

All-In-One Radios

They can pick up both shortwave frequencies and AM/FM bands, making them ideal to be the entertainment hub in your household. They are also well-equipped to handle emergency situations. Most full-featured portable and desktop models fall into this category.

Domestic and International Broadcasting

Many religious, political, and alternative media along with commercial and non-commercial networks broadcast programs in shortwave bands. You can use your shortwave radio to listen to these domestic programs in addition to international broadcasting. Most countries operate shortwave channels to broadcast news, music, and even blatant propaganda. Your radio is a medium to gain perspective of various cultures from around the world.

Emergencies

Shortwave radio technology is an excellent medium to transmit communications and receive long-distance signals. It could be your savior during a disaster such as a mass power failure or a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack. It will let you get news and information from halfway around the world and communicate with other users and emergency services.

Long-Distance Communication

Services that require something beyond the range of traditional VHF frequencies use the shortwave band for long-distance communication. Organic air traffic control and other utility stations use the signals for transmitting weather reporting, encrypted diplomatic messages, and more.

Pastime

Many amateur radio operators use the shortwave radio technology as a hobby. The term ‘DXing’ refers to the monitoring of distant stations. People use it to communicate with other operators, host their own shows, or for recreational purposes.

Technical Specifications

The frequency coverage is the most important thing because a wider coverage will let the radio to pick up more stations. The standard coverage should be between 1.and 30 MHz. However, choosing a model that can receive frequencies lower than 1.MHz will give your freedom to access more low-frequency bands.

The single sideband receiver is another must-have feature for the radio enthusiasts. It will allow you to listen to everything from weather bulletins to military transmissions and amateur radio programs.

Most radios have a digital display for the frequency readout, which is convenient for fine tuning to the exact station you have been looking for. On the other hand, an analog display does not indicate the precise frequency the device is receiving, making it difficult to find a specific station.

Additional Features

The basic shortwave radio units tune to only AM mode stations. However, the fully-featured ones come with multiple modes, expanding your listening options.

The advanced units offer more flexibility with bandwidth selectivity. The pricier ones offer as many as five choices, which you can use to adjust the audio quality of your selected channel and reduce interference from adjacent stations.

Most of the units have a built-in antenna but some come with an extra jack to plug into an external antenna, which facilitates better reception of signals.

As you have already learned the ABC of shortwave radios, their types, uses, and essential characteristics, it’s time to know about the best models on the market. Let’s check our short reviews on ten of the best Shortwave Radios.

TECSUN PL-380

The PL-380 from Tecsun is an excellent choice for the DXers who are looking for a pocket-sized radio on a budget. It has some advanced features that will certainly entertain the amateurs and professional radio enthusiasts. With good audio quality, generous frequency coverage, and different tuning modes, it is a decent unit that you will not regret after buying.

TIVDIO V-116

If you are beginner DXer and want to start your shortwave listening journey with something that won’t break the bank, the TIVDIO V-11is a perfect choice. You can use it as a music player or an alarm clock and carry the pocket-size device around for its rechargeable battery option.

Introducing MultiPSK

First, you need to learn how to use MultiPSK. You can use your sample data files to get to grips with it. This is easier than decoding live radio signals, as you won’t have to cope with the interference and varying signal strengths that you’ll encounter on the airwaves. To use MultiPSK on live data, you would need to connect the audio output of your radio to the line or microphone input of the soundcard in your PC.

To provide a close approximation of this, use a patch cable to loop the soundcard’s line output to its input. After doing this, if you play back a sample file using a media package, that signal will be recognised by MultiPSK. Start up MultiPSK and you’ll find that it opens with the Configuration screen displayed.

We can accept the default settings for now, so click on the ‘RX/TX Screen’ button towards the bottom left. This will take you to the screen we’ll be using for decoding data.

In the block of controls in the upper-right corner, click on the ‘CW’ button (CW stands for Continuous Wave and is a term that radio amateurs use somewhat inaccurately to refer to Morse code). Now try playing back the Morse code sample file.

You’ll notice that the ‘waterfall’ display in the centre of the screen, which was previously showing very little, suddenly bursts into life. This display shows a graph of audio frequency against time, and is used for selecting a signal to decode.

Once the audio level is correct, play back the Morse code file again. When you see a red line appear in the waterfall display, click on it to select that signal for decoding. The text represented by the Morse code will appear in the large text area at the bottom of the screen. Having mastered Morse code, you can now do the same with the other three sample files.

There are a few differences, though. With Morse code, MultiPSK can figure out how fast the data’s being sent and adjust accordingly. With many of the other modes, you have to specify certain parameters. With RTTY, for example, you have to select the correct transmission speed – the sample provided is 50 baud. And with HF Fax, you have to select values for LPM (lines per minute) and IOC (index of cooperation).

For the above sample file, use 120 and 28respectively. The other difference concerns what you see in the waterfall display. Morse code uses a simple on/off modulated signal, which means that it appears as a single frequency in the waterfall display. RTTY, on the other hand, uses two frequencies to represent binary ones and zeros, while Fax uses a pair of frequencies to represent black and white components.

The upshot of all this is that many signals appear on the display as two lines, even though only one is being transmitted at once. It makes a difference which of the lines you click on, so if nothing sensible seems to happen, try clicking on the other one.

Samsung Galaxy Slikely to have a new Dex Pad accessory

Cellular technology and the Internet have completely transformed communications in the 21st century. Think for a moment: If suddenly your computer, TV, and cell phone stopped working, how would you communicate with others? Where would you go for information? The reality is, in the case of an emergency, most people would be completely cut off from the world, reliant on new technology that would cease to function in a disaster. Don’t be one of those people; in this article, we’re going to provide all the information you need to select the best emergency weather radio that will keep you in touch when all other communication mediums fail.

What Is An Emergency Weather Radio

In the case of disaster, an emergency radio will allow you to receive signals modern technology can’t, and stay current on important information such as weather or updates on the disaster situation. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts on frequencies not accessible to standard radios, such as the one that may be in your car, and is able to receive vital updates from the National Weather Service in the case of severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding.

Stay informed of events around you so you know when to bug-in and when to bug-out.

When there’s no power, most emergency weather radios have additional features to power the device via solar or hand crank. When all other technologies fail, if you have an emergency radio, you will have access to information about road closures, the direction of the storm, where emergency shelters are located, and whether or not armed forces have been dispatched. With this knowledge at hand, you can better plan your next course of action; whether that be to stay put, or head out in a vehicle or on foot.

During a wildfire, air quality warnings and evacuation information is broadcast for your safety.

Features To Look For In An Emergency Radio

While emergency weather radios do share many features with standard radios, there are certain functional requirements you will want to specifically look for in your emergency radio including tuning, sound quality and options, power source and battery life, durability, size and weight, and multipurpose options.

AM/FM, weatherband, and shortwave capabilities will give you the most options as the sensitivity of a radio determines how many stations it receives and the quality of reception. NOAA uses Very High Frequency (VHF) waves, transmitted using narrowband FM; most emergency radios will have a feature (either a sound or light) that will alert you when severe weather or other emergency broadcasting is taking place. Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) is also used by NOAA and the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

An emergency radio with S.A.M.E. technology is capable of customizing alerts to your specific area; some even have the functionality to turn off the alert at the End Of Message (EOM) prompt, so that the alert doesn’t continue after the first transmission has played.

Tune in to emergency broadcasts to follow events in your area and stay informed of health and safety guidelines.

In terms of digital vs. analog, digital tuning is much easier to accurately tune and program; however, an analog tuner presumably won’t be affected by an EMP event, whereas a digital system may become unusable.

Emergency Radio Fact : In testing your emergency weather radio, you may notice that more AM stations are received at night; there is a simple explanation for this. Daytime AM waves travel over the surface of the earth through a phenomenon referred to as groundwave propagation; generally, these waves reach no further than 100 miles. At night, reflection from the ionosphere, known as skywave propagation, increases the distance that AM waves can travel up to 100s of miles.

Power Source and Battery Life

Things to look for: Solar or hand crank capabilities, as well as plug-in feature for regular use; battery life.

Power versatility is a key feature in an emergency radio; look for radios with at least one alternative means for powering. The more options you have for powering your radio, the better your chances of staying connected; radios that run only on batteries require a backup supply and you may face the possibility of running out.

Hand Crank

The hand crank is a simple, yet effective, form of power. Hank crank radios convert mechanical energy into electric energy, which is then stored in a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The efficiency of these systems varies greatly, but typically two minutes of cranking will provide five minutes of radio use at full volume; while that may seem like a lot of work for limited use, it is very dependable and always available.

Solar Cell

Another common source of energy is a solar cell. You will find that some radios can run directly off solar power while others need to charge the battery, then run off stored energy. This method is of course limited to daytime use and may take up to six hours to fully charge a battery.

Battery Life

Transportation Requirements

Before choosing a radio, determine whether or not you will be transporting it, i.e. bugging out or using it in a get-home scenario, or staying put for bugging-in.

For bugging-out and get-home scenarios, weight matters and extra multipurpose features will help to offset any added weight by providing key items such as a backup flashlight or survival whistle. Additionally, having a means to charge batteries for other devices will come in quite handy.

When bugging-in, you need not be as concerned with size and weight, but local reporting features, such as S.A.M.E., will be very useful. While you may not need extra multipurpose features, a self-powered radio is always a boon, especially during power outages.

Nearly everyone expressed preference for an analog tuning dial over digital buttons.

Our survey responses were so similar it almost seemed like a conspiracy. By a large margin, most people reported a desire for a simple radio that they could tune to their favorite local public radio station and leave it set there in perpetuity. And when I asked current owners of tabletop radios, that’s pretty much exactly how they reported using them, although those with the option to do so did mention tuning between different NPR affiliates in search of more interesting programming.

Based on their responses, we quickly honed in on the list of essential features that most people are looking for in a tabletop radio.

Aesthetics topped the list. By a huge margin, the number one feature that most people mentioned first was design, with the words “retro” and “executive styling” popping up time and again. Interviewees also quite frequently mentioned that a variety of finish options would be preferable, though not essential.

Solid tuning and good ergonomics were a major priority. For most shoppers, it seems, a good tabletop radio should be as pleasing to touch as it is to look at.

Don’t lose the instructions

I have used this radio for a dozen years. However, like all multifunction Grundig radios, do NOT lose the instructions, unless you like experimenting with all the knobs. My one complaint is that the clock has no alarm (or at least none I can find – yes, I lost the instructions), but instead of an alarm, it just powers on the radio. I will be travelling overseas shortly and can experiment with Short Wave (which means that the lack of a shortwave guide will be interesting). To the reviewer who complained that there is no SSB, if he wanted SSB, he should have bought an SSB radio. Besides, there are very few places in the world (outside of North America {North of Mexico}) which have SSB while, on the other hand, you can pick up shortwave darn near any place you want to go. This is, indeed, one of the better Grundig AM/FM/SW radios.

Disappointed

Choice: On an FM radio you might get around stations. On DAB you might get 50 or so. With an internet radio, you will be able to receive around 20,000 stations from across the world, including all the popular local and national stations.

Reception: If you live in an area with poor DAB or FM reception, an internet radio is a good idea. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you won’t have any issues with reception.

How internet radios work

Most internet radios connect to the internet wirelessly. This means you will need a good amount of bandwidth and a decent wireless router to enjoy listening to the radio without it cutting out or it slowing down other things you use the internet for.

Internet radio usually broadcasts with a bitrate between 12and 320 kilobytes per second, meaning it will use between 57.and 140.6megabytes of data an hour. The average internet speed in the UK can cope with this easily, but it might be an issue if you have a busy network with lots of people using the internet at the same time.

You can also buy wired internet radios that connect to the internet via an Ethernet cable. One radio that offers this possibility is the Ocean Digital WR80, which can also be used wirelessly.

Most internet radios will also let you listen to podcasts and other on-demand audio, though not every podcast will be available. Many internet radios have a special feature for connecting to Spotify, though this usually requires you to sign up for a paid Spotify membership. Most internet radios also come with DAB and sometimes FM, though some are internet-only.

Internet Radio Brands

Some of the leading brands of internet radios are Pure, Roberts, Ocean Digital and Revo. Pure and Roberts are both British brands that produce high-quality radios at mid-range prices. These radios will be good options for most households.

If you’re looking for something cheaper, you should consider getting an Ocean Digital radio. Ocean Digital are a Hong Kong brand that produce inexpensive internet and DAB radios. They generally offer great value for money, but as a brand they don’t have the prestige or reputation of Pure or Roberts.

If money is no option, one of the best brands is Revo. Revo produce some of the best-sounding (and most expensive) internet radios, with impressive features. They also produce a more affordable radio, the Revo PiXiS RX.

Final Word

First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.

Most important, have fun and choose your shortwave radios wisely! Good luck!

So, TOP3 of shortwave radios

• №1 — Eton Field AM / FM / Shortwave Radio with RDS and Bluetooth
• №2 — KKmoon MR300 Shortwave Antenna Analyzer Meter Tester 1 to 60MHz RF SWR for Ham Radio
• №3 — Eton Grundig Satellit 750 Ultimate AM / FM / Aircraft / SSB / Shortwave Radio

Questions? Leave a comment below!

Chatting about shortwave radios is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!