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Sangean SG-622 12 Band AM/FM/Short Wave Receiver

Sangean SG-622 12 Band AM/FM/Short Wave Receiver

List Price: $59.95
Your Price: $29.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Best Buy
Review: It's hard to believe that you can purchase so much performance for less than $40. This little radio has the ability to fill a large room with undistorted sound from any of its 12 bands. Moreover, it is quite easy to use. Sensitivity and voice clarity are remarkable. The automatic gain control deals nicely with weak and strong signals. Selectivity is quite good, but one could use a larger tuning knob (or I suppose in my case, smaller fingers) to make those fine adjustments easier. The size of the radio makes it easy to pack.

Although you get a lot of radio for a few dollars, it would have been nice if Sangean had included an AC adaptor. I have used this radio a lot since I purchased it, and it does have a hardy appetite for batteries when played at high volume. Accordingly, I purchased an AC adaptor for it. I tried several adaptors before I settled on the Radio Shack 4.5 volt "International" model (cat. no. 273-1759). This device accepts almost any input voltage and frequency and produces a full amp of filtered, regulated DC. Unlike other adaptors I tried, this one is relatively "quiet." It does not induce hum or electrical noise. Best of all, it folds up in a very small travel package.

If you don't want to spend a lot of cash on a multi band radio, but want to be able to listen to stations wherever you may travel, the SG622 should work well for you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You Get A Little More Than What You Pay For
Review: The radio's positive reviews are to some degree accurate but there is a catch. Listening to the Sangean SG-622 for the past few weeks I have decided to letter grade-rate it. I considered its sensitivity, selectivity, sound and user friendliness.
Its sound on all bands is about "B" grade with the ability to project itself in a decent and somewhat dynamic way. It is also compact and easy to tune. Once you discover how off the frequency numbers on the dial are compared with the shortwave radio station you might be trying to locate it is not too difficult to find that station later on(provided the signal strength stays the same).
However, the sensitivity and especially selectivity of the radio on shortwave are less than good. The radio is sensitive to any excellent signal but has more difficulty with good or mediocre signals that other sets such as much Sony ICF-SW7600GR or older but good shortwave units can make audible for listening. Selectivity(the ability to to keep powerful neighboring stations, some 10 to 15 kilohertz from crowding out good to mediocre signals) is a big problem at times with this model. I have had problems with more powerful local shortwave signals interrupting other signals that can be heard on the other shortwaves I have. So, I therefore give the radio a "C" and "C-" to "D+" for its sensitivity and selectivity on the shortwave bands.
On AM or the Middlewave band the radio is decent for its sensitivity and selectivity. I rate it on this band as as a "B" and "B-" to "C+" respectively. Living in northern New Jersey, with powerful local broadcasters, I have still received from hundreds of miles away Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, Baltimore and Washington radio stations during an evening of exploring the dial.
FM band reception is a "B" to "B-" for sensitivity and selectivity. The radio is able to get some of the weaker and more distant local stations as well as the usual nearby ones. Sometimes one station may crowd into a weaker one but can usually be tuned away or the radio pointed in the right direction to cancel the interference.
Lastly, the radio has cross modulation problems on some shortwave bands and possibly on AM. Signals from other shortwave and even AM frequencies are tuned in sometimes on the wrong band or frequency (especially on the 60 meter band). This is often a problem with inexpensive shortwave radios.
This radio is overall a mediocre shortwave receiver. I would recommend staying with the old adage: " you get what you pay for" and pay the $... to $... for a Grundig Yacht Boy 400 PE or Sony ICF-SW7600GR and be guaranteed good shortwave, AM and FM reception. In the long run you will be much happier with these reliable relatively inexpensive radios. As some shortwave experts say: " buying a shortwave( worldband) receiver that is normally priced for less than $... is asking for disappointment". When considering the prices of computer software and internet services nowadays it is probably worth paying extra for quality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Yes, it DOES have an AM band....
Review: If you zoom in on the image, you'll see a band called "MW" which is regarded in most parts of the world as what the US calls "AM" (530KC to 1710KC).

This is one of the best buys you'll find for an inexpensive reciever which has SW/MW(AM)/FM. Sangean makes various products for labels such as Grundig (Eton) and CC Radio.

I've had mine for 2 years now and it has performed flawlessly and has extremely good battery life. Although it has a small speaker (to go with the small design) the tone and volume is what you would expect on a "larger portable".

It may not be a Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium or even a YB400PE, but it's a great buy for such a small price.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Shortwave for cheapskates like me.
Review: I may not be a serious shortwave enthusiast, but the Sangean SG 622 turned out to pretty good for my type of listening. My apartment is not very radio-friendly, making reception of even local stations difficult at times, but the SG 622 performs better than most on FM, and surprisingly good on shortwave. I regularly listen to BBC, Radio Taiwan, Radio Japan, and other SW broadcasts using only the radio's built-in antenna, though interference from closely-spaced channels presents a challenge at times. FM reception is better, and the sound from the small speaker is clear and intelligible. Battery life seems to be pretty good, too.

For someone like me who quickly loses patience with gizmos and bells and whistles, the simple analog controls of the SG 622 are welcome, too. There are instructions included, but they're hardly necessary. The controls are easy to operate, but their feel not good. The tuning knob exhibits a lot of rubbery backlash from its internal mechanism, and is way too stiff. The volume control, by contrast, is too loose, and the slightest touch will change the volume a great amount. I'm picky about these things, so others might not be as bothered by them.

Overall, the SG 622 seems to be a better-than-average deal for shortwavers on a budget. It's a good performer, for little money.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Nice, Simple and High Performance Short-wave Radio
Review: Actually, I own the clone of Sangean SG-622, the Radioshack DX-397, and I love it. It is a simple inexpensive and Spartan short-wave radio, but it does a very good job in pulling out the main short-wave stations. It does not have bells and whistles like, digital tunning and display, it does not have an auto power shut off or an alarm clock either. It is fully analog, but for me the most important is sensitivity, selectivity and the sound quality. All these are much better than in a lot of more expensive radios that I have seen. Compared side by side with a Sony ICF-2010 that I own, it pulled out almost all the main stations that the Sony could get, with a tenth of its price. It is lightweight and the sound is very good for a 3inch size speaker.
It may be some interference from nearby strong stations, but it can be reduced with the orientation of the receiver.
I could never belive that you could get such a good quality short-wave radio with such a low price.
I give it a wholeheartedly 5 stars.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The Sangean SG-622 should have been my kind of radio. Small, inexpensive, simple controls, etc. My mistake, I guess.

I didn't expect miracles for thirty bucks. I've got some expensive radios, and I also have some cheapies that are good values. I wanted to like the SG-622, but I can't find any reason to recommend it.

Shortwave reception is marginal, at best. Sensitivity is rather low, even for the price, using just the whip antenna. Connecting a length of wire to it, often an effective trick, only results in overload on stronger signals, additional noise, and even poorer selectivity (which was not good to begin with).

It's also rather deaf on FM. There are at least two local stations I have never picked up on the SG-622 that are clearly audible on every other radio I own, including one that cost me a whole nine dollars.

Construction quality is poor:
- The battery cover on mine doesn't snap securely shut, and occasionally falls off when the radio is moved.
- The tuning knob's rotation is stiff and rubbery, and the indicator skips and jerks across the dial in spots, making it pretty much impossible to tune in some shortwave frequencies.
- The volume control is so loose that it feels as if it's not connected to anything internally. The slightest touch will change the volume from inaudible to louder than wanted.

Judging from the number of positive reviews posted here, it's entirely possible I got a lemon. Based solely on my radio, however, giving it even one star is being charitable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Yes, it DOES have an AM band....
Review: If you zoom in on the image, you'll see a band called "MW" which is regarded in most parts of the world as what the US calls "AM" (530KC to 1710KC).

This is one of the best buys you'll find for an inexpensive reciever which has SW/MW(AM)/FM. Sangean makes various products for labels such as Grundig (Eton) and CC Radio.

I've had mine for 2 years now and it has performed flawlessly and has extremely good battery life. Although it has a small speaker (to go with the small design) the tone and volume is what you would expect on a "larger portable".

It may not be a Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium or even a YB400PE, but it's a great buy for such a small price.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: No AM band
Review: I got this to listen to AM talk radio but it does not have the AM band as advertised. Amazon even sent me another with the same problem. You can zoom in on the picture on this page and see that it is not there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: High Quality Short Wave at an affordable price
Review: This little radio has superb sensitivity on all bands. You will be impressed by the high fidelity output from the internal speaker. There are 10 SW bands and an additional 2 for am/fm so there's plenty of content. Overall, the radio feels solid, antenna and knobs are good quality. It is powered by 3 AA batteries but also will run on an a 4.5 volt adapter (not included). Range and performance of this SW radio rivals units costing much more. A great choice for getting into SW and it's price won't set you back.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love it too!
Review: I read all the reviews because I couldn't believe a shortwave radio could be so inexpensive. My father used to have a big old Blaupunkt he'd listen to at night. I thought I'd try this. Wow, exotic music from the middle east, news from Germany, stations from Japan, England, India. It's refreshing to turn this on at 5 PM instead of the American news. This radio is educating me. It tells the truth and the truth is beautiful.


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