[IRCA] Grundig G8 is a Rebranded Tecsun PL-300WT

[D1028Gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All, 
 
In what must be one of the classic advertising gaffes in radio history,  
despite the Eton Corporation's Austin Parker insisting in an email to Paul 
(_texnote@xxxxxxxxxx (mailto:texnote@xxxxxxxxx) ) that the new Grundig  G8 has 
no DSP chip, the radio is in fact a clone of the new Tecsun PL-300WT,  with 
identical circuitry and operation-- including the innovative DSP  chip. 
Furthermore, despite the bizarre size and weight differences  mentioned in the 
Amazon and Eton/Grundig promotions, the G8 has exactly the same  size and 
weight as the PL-300WT, and has identical labeling (except for the  Grundig 
moniker).
 
Since Amazon.com is selling the Grundig G8 at $50 with free shipping, DXers 
 considering a purchase of this innovative model can save the $25 shipping 
cost  of a PL-300WT by ordering the G8 directly from Amazon, and receive the 
 black-colored G8 (with a rubberized finish, unlike the PL-300WT) within  
about 5 days. Both user reports on Amazon are full of praise for the  G8, 
presumably because neither user is aware that both AM and FM bands benefit  
tremendously from the superb DSP chip, from Silicon Labs.
 
My G8 arrived from Amazon after a delay of 5 days, and had very good AM  
performance out-of-the-box. In comparison with an aligned PL-300WT, there was 
no  observed AM sensitivity difference on either high or low band-- but of 
course  that didn't stop me from aligning the loopstick. As received, the 
loopstick coil  was pinned up against the left plastic bracket (as in all 
PL-300WT's so far),  but in the case of the G8, this was indeed the exact coil 
position to maximize  AM sensitivity. There appeared to be much less wax 
securing the coil to the  ferrite bar (as compared to the PL-300WT), which made 
the alignment go much  faster than in the PL-300WT marathons. Although my 
particular G8 was the  first of these models to be received with the AM 
loopstick coil exactly matched  to the DSP varactor for peak AM sensitivity, it 
remains to be seen whether this  was just a lucky occurrence, or whether G8 
models in general avoid the AM  sensitivity variations of the PL-300WT.
 
The G8 owner's manual is perhaps the only drawback of ordering  this 
low-cost alternative. Instructions are very basic, and there is  no table of 
specifications. G8 owners would be much better off downloading  the PL-300WT 
owner manuals posted on the Ultralightdx Yahoo site by Steve  Ratzlaff or Mike 
Schuster, rather than relying on Grundig's brief  English-French-Spanish 
booklet.
 
In summary, the Grundig G8's availability for a shipped price of $50 is a  
tremendous value for AM DXers, providing DSP-enhanced selectivity 
unprecedented  in Ultralight radios. The opportunity of avoiding the slow, expensive 
shipping  from China is a bonus.
 
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA)
 
 
 
 
    
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